DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 
BUREAU OF FISHERIES 

HUGH M. SMITH, CommUaton.r 



CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE NATURAL 

OYSTER BEDS AND BARREN BOnOMS 

OF LAVAa BAY, TEXAS 

By H, F. Moore 

Assistant in Charge of Scientific Inquiry 

U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 

AND 

Ernest Danglade 

Scientific Assistant 



APPENDIX II TO THE REPORT OF THE U. S, COMMISSIONER 
OF FISHERIES FOR 1914 




Bureou of Fisheries Document No. 809 



WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 



J 



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERGE 

BUREAU OF FISHERIES 

HUGH M. SMITH, Commissioner 



CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE NATURAL 

OYSTER BEDS AND BARREN BOTTOMS 

OF LAVACA BAY, TEXAS 

By H. F* Moore 

Assistant in Charge of Scientific Inquiry 
U. S. Bureau of Fisheries 

Ernest Danglade 

Scientific Assistant 



APPENDIX II TO THE REPORT OF THE U. S. COMMISSIONER 
OF FISHERIES FOR 1914 




Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 809 



WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 



Oj^ 



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0. m 0, 

FEB 24 1915 



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J 



CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE NATURAL OYSTER 

BEDS AND BARREN BOTTOHS OF 

LAVAa BAY, TEXAS 

By H, F* Moore 

Assistant in Charge of Scientific Inquiry 
U.S. Bureau of Fisheries 

AlSfD 

Ernest Danglade 

Scientific Assistant 



Appendix II to the Report of the U. S. Commissioner 
of Fisheries for 1 9 14 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Introduction 5 

Methods of the survey 6 

Lavaca Bay : 10 

Description of natural beds 11 

Sand Point Reef 11 

Lumps northeast of Sand Point Reef 12 

Middle Ground Reef 13 

Old Town Bed 14 

Lump south of Old Town Bed 15 

Bed north of Middle Ground Reef 16 

Kellers Bed 17 

Rhodes Point Reef 18 

Cox Bed 20 

Gallinipper Reef =■ 21 

Mitchell Point Reef*. 22 

Point Comfort Beds • 23 

Lap Reef 24 

Chicken Reef 25 

Beds northwest of Lap Reef 26 

Chain Beds 27 

Hoppe Lump 28 

Half Moon Reef 29 

Long Reef 30 

Patches near Signal Gar 31 

Benado Creek Reef 32 

Patches between Benado Creek and Lavaca River 33 

Review of the natural oyster beds 33 

Barren bottoms 37 

General physical and biological conditions 39 

Tides and currents 39 

Salinity and temperature of the water , 39 

Oyster enemies 41 

Spawning. 42 

Oyster culture 43 

Resume, conclusions, and recommendations 45 

3 



CONDITION AND EXTENT OF THE NATURAL OYSTER BEDS AND 
BARREN BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEXAS. 



By H. F. Moore, Assistant in Charge of Scientific Inquiry, Bureau of Fisheries, 

AND 

Ernest Danglade, Scientific Assistant. 



INTRODUCTION. 

This survey was made at the request of Col. W. G. Sterett, game, 
fish, and oyster commissioner of Texas, preferred through Hon. 
A. S, Burleson, at that time Representative in Congress from Texas, 
who secured an act of Congress authorizing the work. 

The investigation began on February 1, 1913, and was concluded 
May 12. The steamer FisJi Hawk served as the base of operations 
until the examination of the lower two-thirds of the bay had been 
completed, after which, from April 1 until the end of the work, the 
field party, consisting of the scientific staff and a detail from the 
vessel, made their headquarters on a shallow-draft schooner which 
could enter the shoal waters not practicable for the steamer. 

The survey was under the immediate direction of Mr. T. E. B. 
Pope, scientific assistant, whose subsequent resignation from the 
service prevented his preparation of the report. Mr. Danglade was 
second in charga and the biological investigations were made by him. 
Chief Boatswain William Martin was in command of the vessel until 
his detachment, after which Boatswain J. J. O'Brien assumed com- 
mand. 

The work was much hampered by bad weather, and after practically 
all of the signals had been erected they were blown down by a gale. 
The triangulation was carried into the bay from two old stations 
("Sand" and "La Salle") of the Coast and Geodetic Survey which 
were recovered. The signals were cut in as carefully as possible with 
the sextant, the accuracy of the work being checked by erecting cer- 
tain of the signals in two ranges diverging from "Sand." While this 
method does not give the precision exacted by the Coast Survey, it is 
sufficiently exact for the purposes of the present investigation. 

No previous oyster survey has been made in Lavaca Bay, but in 
1905 an investigation similar to this was conducted in Matagorda Bay, 
above Half Moon Reef, a report being published in the following year. 

5 



6 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

METHODS OF THE SURVEY. 

The methods employed were those pursued in former surveys of like 
character, and are explained in detail in a description of the beds of the 
James River, "' from which some of the following is repeated : 

A ''boat sheet" was prepared, on which were accurately platted 
the positions, as determined by triangulation, of lighthouses, build- 
ings, tripods, etc., used as signals. These data were furnished by the 
Uniled States Coast and Geodetic Survey. 

The oyster beds were discovered by soundings with a lead line, but 
principally by means of a length of chain dragged over the bottom at 
the end of a copper wire running from the sounding boat. The wire was 
wound on a reel and its unwound length was adjusted to the depth 
of water and the speed of the launch, so that the chain was always on 
the bottom. Whenever the chain touched a shell or an oyster the 
shock or vibration was transmitted up the wire to the hand of a man 
whose sole duty it was to give heed to such signals and report them to 
the recorder. 

The launches from which the soundings were made were run at a 
speed of between 3 and 4 miles per hour. At intervals of three 
minutes — in some cases two minutes — the position of the boat was 
determined by two simultaneous sextant observations of the angles 
between a set of three signals, the middle one of which was common to 
the two angles, the position being immediately platted on the boat 
sheet. At regular intervals of 15 seconds, as measured by a clock 
under the observation of the recorder, the leadsman made a sounding 
and reported to the recorder the depth of the water and the character 
of the bottom, immediately after which the man at the wire reported 
the character of the chain indications since the last sounding — that is, 
whether they showed barren bottom or dense, scattering, or very 
scattering growths of oysters. 

With the boat running at 3 miles per hour the soundings were 
between 60 and 70 feet apart, and, as the speed of the boat was 
uniform, the location of each was determinable within a yard or two 
by dividing the platted distance between the positions determined 
by the sextant by the number of soundings. The chain, of course, 
gave a continuous indication of the character of the bottom, but the 
record was made at the regular lo-second intervals observed in 
sounding. 

The chain, while indicating the absence or the relative abundance 
of objects on the bottom, gives no information as to whether they 
are shells or oysters, nor, if the latter, their size and condition. To 
obtain these data it was necessary to supplement the observations 
already described by others more definite in respect to the desired 

a Moore, H. F.: Condition and extent of the oyster beds of James River, Va. Bureau of Fisheries 
Document no. 729. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 7 

particulars. Wlienever, in the opinion of the oflScer in charge of the 
sounding boat, such information was required, a numbered buoy was 
dropped, the time and number being entered in the sounding book. 
Another launch, following the sounding boat, anchored alongside the 
buoy, and a quantity of the oysters and shells were tonged up, 
separated by sizes, and counted. 

This boat at each station made a known number of "grabs" with 
the oyster tongs, exercising care to clean the bottom of oysters as 
thoroughly as possible at each grab. In a given depth of water and 
using the same boat and tongs, an oysterman will cover practically 
the same area of the bottom at each grab, but, other factors remaining 
the same, the area of the grab will decrease with an increase in the 
depth. 

Careful measurements were made and tabulated showing the area 
per grab covered by the tonger employed on the work at each foot 
of depth of water and for each pair of tongs and boat used. With 
these data, and knowing the number of ''grabs," the number of 
oysters of each size per square yard of bottom was readily obtainable 
by simple calculation. The following example will illustrate the 
data obtained and the form of the record: 



Department of C 


OMMERCE AND LaBOR. 


BUREAU ( 


DP FISHERIES. 


Field record of examinations of oyster beds. 


General locality, Mississippi Sound. 




Local name of oyster ground, Scranton 


Reef 


Date, February 1. 1911. 


Time, 2.00 p. m. 


Angle, HlOl. 


Buoy No. 6. 


Depth, 4.3. 


Bottom, Soft, over 7^^- 


Condition of water. Thick. 




Density, 1.016. 


Temperature, 19. 


Current, 


Stage of tide. Flood. 


No. grabs made, 8. 


Tongs, 10 feet. 


Total area covered, 2.S6 square yards. 




f— 1 in., 20. 
No. oysters takenj 3 ^^ i^^,^ n. 


lin.-3in., 101. 


4in., 0. 


Quantity shells, 0. 8 dead. 




[Spat per square yard, 8.3. 




Result Culls per square yard, 42.2. 




[Counts per square yard, 4-6. 





This furnishes an exact statement of the condition of the bed at 
the spot, which can be platted on the chart with error in position 
of not more than a few yards. From the data obtained a close esti- 
66341°— 15— 2 



8 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

mate may be formed of the number of bushels of oysters and shells 
per acre in the vicinity of the examination, and, by multiplying the 
observations, for the bed as a whole. In the course of the survey 
472 observations were made at various places, principally on the 
natural rocks, but some on the barren bottoms also. 

In estimating the productiveness of the bottoms it appeared 
desirable to use the method employed in Delaware Bay "- rather 
than that followed in the James River survey. 

Where tongs are used exclusively a bed with a given quantity of 
oysters lying in shoal water is more valuable commercially than one 
with The same quantity of oysters in deeper water, owing to the fact 
that the labor of the tonger is more efficient on the former. As has 
been pointed out, the area covered by a ''grab" decreases with the 
depth, other factors being the same; and, moreover, the deeper the 
water the greater is the labor involved in making the grab and the 
smaller is the number of grabs which can be made in a given time. 
Where, however, the depth is practically uniform and shoal, as in 
the region treated in this report, it is unnecessarily refined and 
laborious to make such allowance for depth, and it is nearly as 
accurate and satisfactory to rate the bottoms in accordance with an 
arbitrary standard. 

In this report the classification of the relative productiveness of 
the various beds and parts of beds, as exhibited on the chart and dis- 
cussed in the text, is as follows: 

Dense growth Bearing over 150 bushels per acre. 

Scattering growth Bearing between 75 and 150 bushels per acre. 

Very scattering growth Bearing between 25 and 75 bushels per acre. 

Depleted bottom Bearing less than 25 bushels per acre. 

This classification refers solely to oysters of a size assumed to be 
large enough for the market, in this case to those 3 inches or more in 
length. As the classification takes no account of the smaller oysters, 
certain areas bearing a heavy growth of young may be described and 
shown on the chart as depleted, owing to the paucity of mature oysters. 
While the charts can not indicate this, the descriptions of the beds 
show it in all cases. The charts show in general terms the character 
of the beds in respect to the product available for market, so far as 
mere size of the oysters is concerned, at the time of the survey. If 
the oysters were of ordinarily good condition and shape, which unfortu- 
nately in most cases they were not, the areas indicated as bearing 
dense and scattering growth would yield a product sufficient to 
make tonging remunerative under the economic conditions existing. 
Where the market oysters are rated as very scattering, the growth is 
insufficient to support a fishery at the low price which the product 

a Condition and extent of the natural oyster beds of Delaware. By H. F. Moore, assistant, United 
States Bureau of Fisheries. Bureau of Fisheries Document no. 745, 1911, 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 9 

would yield. The depleted bottom is that on which the product of 
market oysters, at the time of the survey, was very small, and is 
not necessarily formerly productive bottom now denuded, as might 
be supposed from a strict definition of the descriptive term employed. 
On the contrary, it may be formerly barren bottom now coming into 
production. 

The barren bottom, which is that totally devoid of oysters, and in 
most cases of shells, vastly exceeds the oyster bottom in extent. 
Its interest in connection with the survey hes in its relative avail- 
ability for oyster culture; that is, whether or not its general character 
is such as to enable it to become productive, if proper measures to 
that end be taken. The most important consideration is, usually, 
the character and degree of stabihty of its constituent materials. 
If the bottom be too soft, the shells and oysters deposited thereon 
wiU soon become engulfed. 

In previous surveys the method ordinarily used by oystermen has 
been employed, the consistency of the bottom being determined by 
probing with a pole. By noting the resistance which the bottom 
imposes to the penetration of the probe, the observer forms an opinion 
of its relative hardness and of its suitabihty in that respect for oyster 
culture. In many cases different observers will not agree as to the 
proper term by which to describe the bottom so tested, and it is there- 
fore difl&cult to convey to another the meaning desired. To overcome 
this difficulty an instrument °' has been devised which gives these data 
mechanically, by measuring the number of inches the bottom is 
penetrated by a plunger of a constant weight and size falling through 
a uniform distance. The instrument is used from an anchored boat, 
from 6 to 10 tests being made at each station. Any readings which 
are markedly higher or lower than the others are discarded on the 
assumption that the plunger has fallen into a crab hole or other 
depression, or that it has encountered a shell or similar accidental 
obstruction. 'The average of the remaining depths of penetration, 
as indicated on the scale of inches inscribed on the rod, is regarded 
as the measure of the consistency of the bottom. 

The foUowing designations used to indicate the different degrees 
of hardness, as shown by the instrument, are arbitrary, although 
based on the terms used by the oyster growers: 

Hard Penetration less than 4 inches. 

Stiff -Penetration between 4 and 8 inches. 

Soft Penetration between 8 and 13 inches. 

Very soft Penetration between 13 and 18 inches. 

Ooze Penetration over 18 inches. 

o Illustrated and described in "Condition and extent of the natural oyster beds and barren bottoms 
, of Mississippi Sound, Alabama." By H. F, Moore, Bureau of Fisheries Document no. 769. 



10 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

These various types of bottom are shown on the chart by means of 
circles, the relative area of black included within them indicating 
the relative degree of hardness, as follows: Hard, a black circle; 
stiff, a black semicircle; soft, a black quadrant; very soft, two cross- 
ing diameters; ooze, one diameter. 

The bottoms classed as hard and stiff, those in which the plunger 
will not penetrate more than 8 inches, are suitable for planting 
without preparation, provided they are not composed of shifting 
sand. As sand invariably gives a reading of less than 4 inches, and 
is therefore rated as ''hard," it follows that all "stiff" bottom shown 
on the chart by a black semicircle can be accepted as safe for planting. 
Part of the hard bottom is composed of mud and part of sand. The 
former may be accepted without hesitation, but the latter should be 
examined with respect to its liabihty to shift. Soft bottom should be 
planted with care, and toward its upper or less consistent limits may 
require some preliminary hardening with shells or sand. Very soft 
bottom and ooze should not be considered, as oysters planted there 
will sink, and if not killed, as is probable, will be ill-shaped and 
inferior in every respect. The ratings on which the classification is 
based have been checked by observation on bottoms actually used 
for oyster culture in Chesapeake Bay. 

The instrument employed has been thoroughly tested and is reli- 
able for the purposes of oyster surveys, but there may be errors in 
cases where hard bottom is overlaid by several inches of soft mud 
and ooze. Such bottoms are always readily detected by probing 
with a pole. 

LAVACA BAY. 

Lavaca Bay is the northwest arm of Matagorda Bay and, exclusive 
of minor bays, covers an area of about 60 square miles. Its greatest 
width, including Kellers Bay, is about 7 miles, and it has a length, 
from Sand Point to the head of Garcitas Bay, of about 12| miles. It 
is about 2 miles wide at its mouth, but the effective width for pur- 
poses of navigation is much reduced by bars and oyster reefs. The 
mouth is about 15 miles from Pass Cavallo, the entrance from the 
Gulf of Mexico, in which there is a variable depth of 9 to 10 feet on 
the bar. Most of the lower half of the bay, excluding the shore 
waters and the reefs, is from 7 to 9 feet deep, and a draft of about 7 
feet can be carried at low water through the two short dredged 
channels and to within a short distance of Lavaca, the only town on 
the bay and the center of the oyster industry of the region. The 
upper half of the bay has an average depth of 4 to 5 feet. The 
streams tributary are Cavallo River, Garcitas River, Benado Creek, 
and Lavaca River, of which the latter is the largest. All of these 
flow into the upper part of the bay. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY^ TEX. 



11 



In the survey 16,153 soundings were made on lines aggregating 
362 miles, the position of the boat being instrumentally fixed at 
about 800 places. The character of the oysters and the nature of 
the bottom were determined at 464 stations, of which 228 were on 
the reefs and 236 on barren bottom, in addition to continuous chain 
readings over a distance of 362 miles. The data available, therefore, 
are sufficient to give an unusually accurate idea of the conditions for 
both natural growth and oyster culture. 

DESCRIPTION OF NATURAL BEDS. 

SAND POINT REEF. 

This reef is located on the northwest side of Sand Point and extends 
in. a southwesterly direction to join the more productive Middle 
Ground Reef. There is no distinct line of demarcation between 
these two reefs, but there is a gradual change in the character of the 
bottom from sand to stiff mud. The average width of the reef is 
about one-fourth of a mile, the length is about seven-eighths of a 
mile, and the area is about 160 acres. Comparison of the charts of 
the present survey with the coast survey charts shows that this bed 
is gradually extending westward. 

This reef bears singles and scattering bunches of good oysters, 
nearly all of which are marketable. It has been fished for at least 
the last 16 years and has never been entirely depleted, and at the 
time of the survey the average tonger could take about three barrels 
of oysters per day. On account of the protection afforded by Sand 
Point it is fished principally when weather conditions prevent the 
working of the more productive neighboring beds. The area, con- 
dition of oyster growth, and estimated content of this bed are shown 
in the following table: 

Oyster Growth on Sand Point Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense , 


Acres. 

78 
20 
62 


Bushels. 
336 
604 
136 


Bushels. 
212 

57 
6 


Bushels. 

26,208 

12,080 

8,432 


Bushels. 

16,536 

1,140 

372 


Bushels. 
42, 744 


Very scattering 


13,220 
8,804 


Depleted 




Total .... 


160 






46, 720 


18,048 


64,768 











12 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX, 
Details op Examination of Sand Point Reef. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


. Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


48 
101 

12 
100 

47 
98 


1913. 
Mar. 
Mar. 11 
Mar. 6 
Mar. 11 

Mar. 6 
Mar. 11 


Feet. 
4.5 
5.5 
5.5 
6.5 

4.0 
5.0 


8q. yds. 
1.79 
1.99 
1.99 
1.82 

1.99 
2.12 


12.3 

2.5 

43.7 

29.6 

5.0 
10.4 


4.4 

7.0 

42.2 

20.4 

.0 
7.1 


2.2 
8.5 
4.1 
2.2 

.0 
0.5 


13 
10 
29 
15 

9 
12 


Bush. 

201 

115 

1,031 

604 

60 
212 


Bush. 

532 

219 

99 

57 


13 


Bush. 

733 

334 

1,130 

661 

60 
225 


Dense. 

Do. 

Do. 
Very scat- 
tering. 
Depleted. 

Do. 



The areas of more scanty growth lie along the eastern margin of 
the bed,. the dense growth being found in the parts contiguous to the 
middle ground. The bottom over practically the entire bed is hard, 
owing to the preponderance of sand. The oysters for Sand Point 
Reef were, at the time of the survey, superior in shape and fatness to 
those from adjacent beds. 

LUMPS NORTHEAST OF SAND POINT REEF. 

There is a small lump of 5 acres about one-half mile to the north- 
east of Sand Point Reef. One station was made which disclosed 23.6 
counts and 24 shells per square yard. Between this lump and Sand 
Point Reef the bottom is generally hard and ajBFords more or less 
scattered and irregular clusters rather close to the shore line, but does 
not interfere with seining. There were formerly oysters of good 
quality here, although they were never dense, but they have been 
practically fished out. 

A patch containing 67 acres of very scattering oysters is located 
near the main reef off Sand Point. The bottom is hard sand and the 
shells are more or less covered with yellow sponge. 

The conditions on these unimportant patches are shown in the fol- 
lowing table : 

Oyster Growth on Lumps Northeast op Sand Point Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
laches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Den.se. 


Acres. 

5 

67 


Bushels. 
662 
426 


Bushels. 

611 

40 


Bushels. 
3,310 

28,542 


Bushels. 
3,055 
2,680 


Bushels. 
6,365 


Very scattering 


31,222 






Total 


72 






31,852 


5,735 


37,587 











OYSTER BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY, TEX. 13 

Details of Examination of Lumps Northeast of Sand Point Reef. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


CuUs. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


94 
96 

97 


1913. 
Mar. 11 
...do 

...do 


Feet. 
4.0 
7.0 

6.5 


Sq. yds. 
1.99 
1.79 

1.82 


31.1 
35.8 

22.0 


23.6 
15.2 

17.6 


23.6 
2.3 

1.1 


24 
44 

40 


Bush. 
662 
616 

236 


Bush. 

611 

53 

28 


Bush. 

1,273 

669 

264 


Dense. 
Very scat- 
tering. 
Do. 



MIDDLE GROUND REEF. 

This lies at the entrance of Lavaca Bay and extends from near the 
western shore line in a northerly direction for approximately If miles, 
with an average width of about one-fourth mile. The upper half 
of the reef broadens toward the east and merges with Sand Point 
Reef, the arbitrary hne of demarcation used in this report being the 
strip of deep water running toward the northeast. The greatest 
depth found in tonging on this reef was 8^ feet at the extreme western 
point and the least was 3^ feet near the beacons. There are, however, 
a number of depressions along the eastern border with a depth of 
10 to 13| feet, and the dredged channel marked by beacons no. 1 and 
no. 2 has a depth of 7 feet. The material dug from this channel was 
thrown to the westward of the beacons and becomes exposed during 
low tides. The extent and general condition of the bed are shown in 
the following table : 

Oyster Growth on Middle Ground Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
444 

28 


Bushels. 
809 
761 


Bushels. 
960 
137 


Bushels. 

359, 196 

21,308 


Bushels. 

426, 240 

3,836 


Bushels. 
785,436 
25, 144 


Scattering 






Total 


472 






380,504 


430, 076 


810,580 









With the exception of a comparatively small area of scattering 
oysters near the northeast margin of the bed adjoining Sand Point 
Reef, the entire reef is covered with dense growth, which in some 
places amounts to nearly 4,900 bushels per acre, about equally 
divided between small and adults. It is not probable that this ex- 
traordinary denseness of growth obtains over a very wide area, but 
there are many places on which there are in excess of 2,500 bushels 
per acre. As is to be expected under such conditions, the oysters are 
clustered and rough, and in quality they are generally inferior to 



14 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



those on the less densely populated Sand Point Reef. The bed was 
tonged through the season and the average tonger could take about 4 
barrels per day. 

A few drills were found and some specimens of the yellow boring 
sponge. 

The following table shows the details of the examination of the bed : 

Details of Examination op Middle Ground Reef. 











Oysters caught per 


SheUs 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 




Sta- 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


square yard. 


oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


tion. 














growth. 










Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 






1913. 


Feet. 


Sq. yds. 










Bush. 


Bush. 


Bush. 




1 


Mar. 5 


4.0 


2.65 


31.6 


17.7 


23.0 


8 


578 


555 


1,133 


Dense. 


2 


...do 


5.0 


1.59 


18.3 


17.6 


17.6 


8 


430 


428 


858 


Do. 


13 


Mar. 6 


5.5 


1.99 


53.8 


37.2 


55.3 


20 


1,092 


1,336 


2,428 


Do. 


14 


...do 


6.0 


1.39 


10.8 


17.3 


12.3 


8 


338 


299 


637 


Do. 


15 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


25.6 


15.6 


35.7 


11 


496 


862 


1,358 


Do. 


16 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


31.2 


31.6 


40.2 


18 


759 


971 


1,730 


Do. 


17 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


33.2 


32.2 


69.9 


20 


789 


1,687 


2,476 


Do. 


18 


...do 


4.0 


1.99 


22.1 


36.2 


38.7 


7 


704 


937 


1,641 


Do. 


19 


...do 


5.0 


1.59 


34.6 


40.8 


52.8 


19 


909 


1,279 


2,188 


Do. 


20 


...do... . 


4.0 


1.99 


23.2 


36.7 


51.8 


7 


722 


1,2.54 


1,976 


Do. 


21 


...do .... 


5.0 


1.59 


28.9 


48.5 


47.2 


8 


934 


1,141 


2,075 


Do. 


22 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


7.6 


12.8 


19.5 


7 


246 


472 


718 


Do. 


23 


...do 


6.0 


1.86 


21.5 


22.1 


27.1 


5 


526 


657 


1,183 


Do. 


24 


...do 


6.0 


1.86 


20.4 


19.9 


30.6 


13 


485 


740 


1,225 


Do. 


27 


...do 


6.5 


1.82 


14.3 


15.4 


19.8 


8 


359 


478 


837 


Do. 


50 


Mar. 10 


5.5 


1.99 


74.8 


57.8 


55.5 


26 


1,601 


1,464 


3,065 


Do. 


83 


Mar. 11 


6.5 


4.17 


6.0 


7.5 


5.8 


6 


163 


150 


313 


Do. 


84 


...do 


6.0 


5.21 


9.6 


10.2 


8.4 


3 


239 


218 


457 


Do. 


85 


...do 


6.0 


3.91 


21.0 


12.3 


20.5 


7 


402 


530 


932 


Do. 


86 


...do 


6.0 


3.91 


15.2 


15.4 


20.5 


13 


371 


530 


901 


Do. 


87 


...do 


5.0 


4.41 


16.1 


19.8 


38.6 


17 


434 


998 


1,432 


Do. 


90 


...do 


4.5 


1.56 


3.8 


17.3 


21.2 


15 


255 


550 


805 


Do. 


91 


...do 


4.5 


4.73 


19.2 


18.9 


28.9 


12 


578 


749 


1,327 


Do. 


102 


Mar. 13 


5.0 


5.90 


101.0 


84.5 


53.8 


12 


2,241 


1,299 


3,540 


Do. 


103 


...do 


6.5 


3.13 


86.0 


105.0 


107.0 


22 


2,312 


2,582 


4,894 


Do. 


104 


...do 


5.5 


4.17 


70.5 


79.2 


78.5 


14 


1,805 


1,893 


3,698 


Do. 


105 


...do 


6.0 


3.90 


108. 5 


74.7 


72.5 


9 


1,780 


1,746 


3,526 


Do. 


106 


...do 


6.5 


1.82 


32.9 


39.5 


38.4 


12 


874 


927 


1,801 


Do. 


107 


...do 


fi.O 


1.39 


51.7 


56.1 


60.4 


26 


1,302 


1,457 


2,759 


Do. 


108 


...do 


6.0 


1.39 


10.1 


40.0 


38.8 


39 


607 


936 


1,543 


Do. 


113 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


12.1 


17.1 


16.1 


14 


353 


389 


742 


Do. 


.114 


--.do 


4.5 


1.79 


61.9 


75.9 


75.9 


42 


1,669 


1,830 


3,499 


Do. 


115 


...do 


8.5 


2.00 


14.0 


14.5 


15.0 


30 


344 


362 


706 


Do. 


11 


Mar. 6 


5.5 


2.12 


43.0 


35.0 


6.2 


28 


937 


149 


1,086 


Scattering. 


109 


Mar. 13 


7.0 


1.79 


35.2 


39.6 


5.6 


44 


906 


135 


1,041 


Do. 


112 


...do 


7.0 


1.79 


16.7 


19.7 


5.0 


' 25 


440 


128 


568 


Do. 



OLD TOWN BED. 

This bed, which is rudely triangular in shape, with the broader 
end to the north, is located in the southern end of the bay near the 
entrance. It is separated from the preceding bed by a channel about 
11 to 12 feet deep. It is about 1^ miles long by one-third mile 
wide, and including the small lump to the south contains approxi- 
mately 342 acres. The depth on the. western side is from 4 to 4^ 
feet, while the greatest depth, that of 6^ to 7^ feet, is along the north- 
ern and eastern borders. 

The oysters of this bed are frequently covered to some extent with 
yellow sponge, and they usually occur in large irregular clusters with 
sharp edges. But few drills were observed. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



15 



The quality of the oysters is not as good as that of the near-by 
Middle Ground Reef, and the bed was not being worked during the 
survey. The bed is composed entirely of dense growth, as shown in 
the following tables: 

Oyster Growth on Old Town Bed. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
328 


Bushels. 
683 


Bushels. 
943 


Bushels. 
224,024 


Bushels. 
309,304 


Bushels. 
533,328 





Details of Examination of Old Town Bed. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


SheUs 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


25 
26 
57 
58 
60 
61 
79 
81 
88 
89 
117 
165 


1913. 

Mar. 6 
...do 

Mar. 10 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Mar. 11 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Mar. 13 

Mar. 18 


Feet. 
5.5 
7.0 
7.5 
7.5 
8.0 
7.0 
7.0 
6.5 
6.5 
6.0 
7.0 
7.0 


Sq. yds. 
1.99 
1.34 
1.34 
1.34 
1.34 
1.34 
3.13 
3.13 
3.13 
3.91 
2.34 
1.79 


37.2 
47.7 
48.4 
23.8 
40.0 
70.1 
26.2 
20.5 
25.0 
60.8 
28.5 
11.2 


27.6 
34.4 
21.6 
15.6 
20.4 
46.8 
15.0 
13.4 
19.8 
20.5 
42.1 
12.3 


30.2 
48.5 
40.9 
24.5 
40.1 
60.8 
17.6 
21.8 
26.8 
60.8 
42.1 
33.0 


32 
20 
14 
13 
15 
30 
7 
16 
22 
23 
24 
11 


Bush. 

782 
871 
845 
250 
476 
1,412 
498 
409 
542 
981 
856 
284 


Bush. 

729 

1,172 

1,060 

642 

1,038 

1,576 

456 

564 

694 

1,575 

1,020 

796 


Bush. 

1,511 

2,043 

1,905 

892 

1,514 

2,988 

954 

971 

1,236 

2,556 

1,876 

1,080 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



LUMP SOUTH OF OLD TOWN BED. 

This small lump, which is about 125 yards south of Old Town Bed 
and 50 yards from the west shore, contains 14 acres. Two stations 
were made, each showing a dense growth of clustered oysters, which 
were more or less covered with yellow sponge. The bottom was hard 
and the depth of water from 3^ to 5 feet. No work was being con- 
ducted on this lump during the survey. The following tables suflB.- 
ciently indicate its character: 

Oyster Growth on Lump South of Old Town Bed. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
14 


Bushels. 
499 


Bushels. 
665 


Bushels. 
6,986 


Bushels. 
9,310 


Bushels. 
16, 296 







66341°— 15- 



16 OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

Details of Examination of Lumps South op Old Town Bed. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


SheUs 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


92 
118 


1913. 
Mar. 11 
Mar. 13 


Feet. 
7.0 
5.5 


Sq. yds. 
2.35 

4.17 


18.4 
19.7 


21.0 
23.3 


30.8 
22.3 


10 
11 


Bush. 
477 
521 


Bush. 
793 
538 


Bush. 
1,270 
1,059 


Dense. 
Do. 



A small lump, covering about 13 acres, lies about a quarter of a mile 
northwest of this bed, but although its position was determined no 
examination of the oysters was made. 

BED NORTH OF MIDDLE GROUND REEF. 

This bed, which has no local name, Ues but a short distance to the 
north of Middle Ground Reef and is approximately 1 mile in length 
by one-fifth of a mile wide. It is not fished much for the market, as 
the stock is poor and largely of the sharp-edged long snapper or 
raccoon type, which occurs in scattering clusters more or less covered 
with yellow sponge. The average depth of water is about 6^ feet. 
The bottom varies from almost an ooze to rather hard mud and con- 
tains many buried shells. During the last two or three years a new 
growth has developed on old, partly buried shells south of the middle 
of the bed. The growth is all rated as dense, and its general condition 
is shown in the following tables : 

Oyster Growth on Bed North of Middle Ground Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
173 


Bushels. 
410 


Bushels. 
431 


Bushels. 
70,930 


Bushels. 
74,563 


Bushels. 
145, 493 







Details of Examination of Bed North of Middle Ground Reef. 



Sta- 


Date of 

examtaa- 

tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


tion. 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


9 

55 

71 

132 

124 


1913. 
Mar. 5 
Mar. 10 
...do.... 
Mar. 17 
Mar. 14 


Feet. 
6.5 
6.5 
7.5 
7.5 
7.0 


Sq. yds. 
1.37 
1.37 
1.34 
1.79 


14.6 
43.8 
37.2 
16.2 
.0 


9.5 
18.3 
1.6.7 
13.9 
.0 


11.7 

27.0 

36.4 

8.9 

.0 


1 

15 

10 

7 




Bush. 
289 
750 
651 
364 



Bush. 
282 
715 
944 
215 



Bush. 

571 

1,465 

1,595 

579 




Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
KELLERS BED. 



17 



Kellers Bed begins at the shoal water off Rhodes Point and 
extends southeastward for 3 miles. At its upper end it is half a mile 
in width, which gradually broadens to a mile near the center, then 
narrows rather suddenly to about 300 yards for the rest of its length. 

Disregarding the shallow water off Rhodes Point, varying from 
1 foot to 2^ feet, and the water immediately south of the point, 
ranging from 3 to 3^ feet, the average depth of water on the bed 
approximates 6^ feet. 

The bottom is composed generally of hard mud, although four 
stations made at points along the eastern and southern edges re- 
vealed a barren bottom of stiff mud 5 to 8 inches deep, and at three 
tonging stations the bottom was found to be ooze. 

The oysters occur in large, sharp-edged clusters and are generally 
"snappers" of poor quality, although at some stations well shaped 
but watery. Oysters were found on the southern end of the bed, 
which is depleted, the bottom being hard and covered with scattering 
dead shells on which were but few spats. The bed is not fished much 
except at the southern end, where, especially during the past two or 
three years, oysters have grown on shells thrown overboard bv boats 
passing from Sand Point to Kellers Bay. This same condition 
applies to all parts of the bay, especially the lower end. The general 
conditions on the bed are shown in the following tables: 

Oyster Growth on Kellers Bed. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed.' 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense « 


Acres. 

1,275 

12 


Bushels. 

312 

65 


Bushels. 

426 




Bushels. 

397,800 

780 


Bushels. 
,543,150 


Bushels. 
940,950 


Depleted 


780 








Total 


1,287 






398,580 


543,150 


941, 730 











a No stations were made on the shore skirting south of Rhodes Point. 



18 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
Details of Examination of Kellers Bed. 



star 
tion. 


Date of 

examinar 

tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


6 

7 

8 

39 

30 

53 

65 

68 

69 

125 

126 

134 

136 

137 

148 

149 

152 

424 

425 

426 

427 

151 

45 


1913. 

Mar. 5 

...do 

-..do 

Mar. 6 
...do 

Mar. 10 

...do 

...do 

.-.do 

Mar. 14 
...do 

Mar. 17 

..-do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

May 7 

...do 

...do 

...do 

May 17 

Mar. 6 


Feet. 
7.0 
7.0 
7.0 
7.5 
8.0 
8.0 
8.0 
7.5 
7.5 
8.0 
8.0 
7.0 
6.5 
7.0 
7.5 
7.0 
3.5 
7.5 
7.5 
6.5 
6.0 
7.5 
6.0 


Sq. yds. 
1.79 
1.34 
1.34 
1.79 

"'"i.'34' 
1.34 
1.34 
1.34 
1.79 

"'i.'TO' 
1.82 
1.79 
1.79 

"'2.' 92' 
1.79 
1.79 
1.82 
1.85 

"".'93' 


23.5 
10.4 
17.2 
5.6 

.0 
17.8 
45.4 
27.0 
27.0 
24.0 

.0 
15.1 
14.3 
17.9 
16.2 

.0 
12.0 
9.8 
11.7 
11.0 
4.8 

.0 
5.4 


10.6 

8.9 

11.9 

6.1 

.0 

13.4 

30.5 

14.6 

18.8 

16.2 

.0 

10.0 

14.3 

9.5 

12.9 

.0 

8.8 

21.8 

15.1 

20.9 

8.6 

.0 

.0 


22.9 

11.2 

9.7 

27.9 

.0 
32.7 
64.6 
24.8 
28.4 
26.8 

.0 
28.2 
17.0 
24.0 
24.0 

.0 
15.4 
19.0 
19.5 
12.6 
10.2 

.0 

.0 


26 

13 

11 

22 



12 

28 

16 

15 

26 



11 

19 

19 

18 



6 

33 

33 

27 

9 



18 


Bush. 
408 
256 
349 
141 


375 
934 
503 
554 
485 


303 
346 
332 
352 


251 
382 
324 
385 
185 


65 


Bush. 
553 
272 
234 
674 


847 
1,672 
643 
734 
646 


683 
410 
577 
579 


372 
458 
471 
305 
246 






Bush. 

961 

528 

583 

815 



1,222 

2,606 

1,146 

1,288 

1,131 



986 

756 

909 

931 



623 

840 

795 

690 

431 



65 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 

Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Depleted. 



There is a fringe of oysters occurring more or less regularly along 
the shore from the outer part of Rhodes Point eastward for about 
a mile. No stations were made here. A similar skirting is found 
along the shore north of Cox Bay, and also to the west of Lavaca 
River. 

There is a small patch 90 by 300 yards to the southeast of the main 
bed with rather hard bottom and scattering clusters in about 6^ 
feet of water. The area of the patch is about 7 acres, and it is 
estimated to bear 4,018 bushels of small and 3,444 bushels of market 
oysters — an average of 574 and 492 bushels per acre, respectively. 
Some of the shells are more or less covered with a growth of yellow 
sponge. The oysters are about equal in quality to those of the 
main bed- 

RHODES POINT REEF. 

This is a sickle-shaped bed extending from the end of Rhodes Point 
to the middle of the bay, with a total length of about 3 miles and an 
average width of somewhat less than one-half mile. The bottom is 
generally hard with the exception of a few Hmited areas near the end. 
The extent and general character of the oyster growth is shown in the 
following table: 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Rhodes Point Reef. 



19 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense "■ 


Acres. 

1,093 

121 

3 


Bushels. 

366 

103 

12 


Bushels. 

565 

87 

53 


Bushels. 

400,038 

12,463 

36 


Bushels. 

617,545 

10,527 

159 


Bushels. 
1,017,583 


Scattering 


12,990 


Very scattering 


195 






Total 


1,217 






412,537 


628,231 


1,030,768 









a Including a 9-acre detached patch. 

With the exception of a scattering growth near the middle of the 
northern edge of the bed, and a very small patch of very scattering 
oysters, the entire bed is covered by a dense growth on which there is 
an average of over 500 bushels of large oysters per acre and a maxi- 
mum of over 1,200 bushels. There is an abundance of smaU oysters, 
but both large and small are in commingled clusters and of poor 
quality. Mussels were found on the southern part of the reef and 
there is an abundance of yellow sponge. 

The details of the examination of this reef are shown in the following 

table : 

Details op Examination op Rhodes Point Reef. 











Oysters caught per 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 




Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 


Depth 


Area 


square yard. 


oysters per acre. 


Character 


examina- 
tion. 


of 
water. 


cov- 
ered. 














of oyster 














growth. 










Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 






1913. 


Feet. 


Sq. yds. 










Bmh. 


Bush. 


Bush. 




146 


Mar. 17 


6.0 


1.86 


15.7 


19.4 


40.0 


11 


425 


965 


1,390 


Dense. 


147 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


26.2 


24.6 


48.3 


26 


614 


1,175. 


1,789 


Do. 


153 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


17.6 


27.6 


40.0 


10 


546 


966 


1,512 


Do. 


154 


...do 


6.5 


1.82 


29.6 


36.8 


50.5 


17 


803 


1,228 


2,031 


Do. 


155 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


4.5 


17.9 


20.8 


8 


272 


503 


775 


Do. 


160 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


13.4 


16.8 


35.8 


20 


365 


865 


1,230 


Do. 


161 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


21.8 


15.1 


25.2 


6 


506 


609 


1,115 


Do. 


163 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


7.8 


14.5 


41.8 


15 


269 


1,010 


1,279 


Do. 


168 


Mar. 18 


8.0 


1.79 


11.2 


10.6 


27.4 


17 


264 


661 


925 


Do. 


170 


...do 


6.0 


1.86 


25.9 


17.7 


24.3 


11 


527 


586 


1,113 


Do. 


171 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


25.6 


4.0 


7.0 


5 


358 


169 


527 


Do. 


179 


Mar. 27 


6.0 


1.85 


30.2 


19.9 


15.6 


12 


606 


376 


982 


Do. 


211 


Mar. 28 


7.5 


1.79 


3.3 


10.0 


10.0 


6 


163 


242 


405 


Do. 


255 


Apr. 1 


8.0 


1.79 


11.2 


6.1 


15.1 


8 


204 


364 


568 


Do. 


256 


...do 


7.5 


1.79 


12.3 


14.5 


12.3 


18 


323 


297 


620 


Do. 


257 


...do 


7.5 


1.79 


12.8 


5.6 


9.5 


7 


222 


247 


469 


Do. 


260 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


14.5 


15.0 


16.8 


9 


356 


405 


761 


Do. 


261 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


14.5 


12.3 


24.5 


7 


323 


592 


915 


Do. 


262 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


22.3 


13.4 


11.2 


30 


431 


270 


701 


Do. 


263 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


9.5 


11.2 


10.6 


9 


250 


258 


508 


Do. 


264 


...do 


8.0 


1.79 


12.3 


12.8 


20.6 


7 


304 


496 


800 


Do. 


428 


May 7 


4.5 


1.79 


21.8 


34.6 


40.7 


13 


680 


986 


1,666 


Do. 


460 


May 10 


8.0 


1.79 


7.2 


4.4 


8.9 


1 


140 


214 


354 


Do. 


461 


...do 


7.5 


1.79 


2.8 


11.2 


24.6 


9 


169 


594 


763 


Do. 


464 


...do 


6.5 


1.82 


16.5 


16.5 


25.8 


21 


399 


624 


1,023 


Do. 


176 


Mar. 27 


7.0 




.0 


.0 


.0 














Do. 


462 


May 10 


8.0 


1.79 


9.5 


10.6 


10.0 


7 


142 


142 


284 


Scattering. 


463 


...do 


8.5 


1.79 


5.6 


8.3 


5.0 


9 


168 


121 


289 


Do. 


162 


Mar. 17 


6.5 




.0 


.0 


.0 














Do. 



20 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



COX BED. 

Cox Bed lies in and ojff the entrance to Cox Bay, and, like Rhodes 
Point Reef and Kellers Bed, with which it is continuous, it begins at 
Rhodes Point, extending north for about a mile and a half, and has a 
width of approximately the same distance. 

On the southern part of the bed at Rhodes Point the depth is from 
1 foot to 3i feet, but the remainder, with few exceptions, has a uniform 
depth of about 6 feet. 

The bottom is generally hard and covered by a dense growth of 
from about 250 to 550 bushels of market oysters per acre. These 
occur in scattered clusters and are of poor quality. 

The character of the oyster growth is shown in summary and detail 
in the following tables : 

Oyster Growth on Cox Bed. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense. 


Acres. 
1,177 


Bushels. 
364 


Bushels. 
358 


Bushels. 

428,428 


Bushels. 
421,366 


Bushels. 
849,794 





Details of Examination op Cox Bed 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 

examiaa- 

tion. 


Depth 
of 

water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


184 
185 
186 
214 
215 
216 
217 


1913. 

Mar. 27 

...do 

...do 

Mar. 28 

...do 

...do 

...do 


Feet. 
6.0 
6.5 
7.0 
6.0 
6.0 
6.0 
7.5 


8q. yds. 
1.85 
1.82 
1.79 
1.85 
1.85 
1.85 
1.79 


9.7 
26.9 
26.8 
22.6 
21.2 

6.5 
10.6 


16.3 
15.1 
19.0 
28.5 
18.9 
7.5 
12.8 


10.2 
14.5 
19.0 
22.6 
19.9 
11.8 
20.9 


31 
6 

24 

20 
8 
8 

10 


Bush. 
314 
607 
554 
616 
485 
159 
283 


Bush. 
246 
350 
458 
545 
480 
285 
505 


Bush. 
560 
857 
1,012 
1,161 
965 
444 
788 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



Several small lumps east of this bed show oyster growths as follows : 
Oyster Growth on Lumps East op Cox Bed. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense « 


Acres. 

3 

31 


Bushels. 
423 
267 


Bushels. 
572 
120 


Bushels. 
1,269 

8,277 


Bushels. 
1,716 
3,720 


Bushels. 
2,985 


Scattering 


11,997 




Total .- 


34 






9,546 


5,436 


14, 982 











a Including a 3-acre patch west of maia reef. 



OYSTEE BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



21 



GALLINIPPER REEF. 

This lies immediately adjacent to Gallinipper Point, from which it 
extends northward to the dredged channel, marked by beacons no. 3 
and no. 4. It is somewhat circular in outline, with a diameter of three- 
fourths of a mile. The eastern portion is covered by 4 feet or less of 
water, the reef rising rather abruptly 2 feet or more above the general 
level of the surrounding barren bottom. From the crest of this ridge 
it slopes westward to the general level of the bottom. 

The general conditions on the bed are shown in the following table: 

Oyster Growth on Gallinipper Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 

inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense "■ 


Acres. 

329 

32 


Bushels. 
766 
231 


Bushels. 
586 
145 


Bushels. 

252,014 

7,392 


Bushels. 

192, 794 

4,640 


Bushels. 

444, 808 


Scattering 


12, 032 






Total... 


361 






259,406 


197, 434 


456,840 









o Including a 3-aere patch west of main reef. 

The oysters occur generally in clusters and are of rather poor shape 
but fair flavor. The reef has not been fished for the market to any 
extent in recent years, although it produces oysters of fair quahty 
for shucking. Tongers can take but four or five barrels per day, 
owing to the time consumed in cuUing. It is understood that 
oysters from this bed have been used to some extent for seed. There 
are a few mussels and many barnacles and the yeUow sponge is rather 
common. The details of the examination of this bed are shown in 
the following table : 

Details op Examination op Gallinipper Reef. 











Oysters caught per 


SheUs 


Estimated quantity 




Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 


Depth 


Area 


square yard. 


oysters per acre. 


Character 


examm.a- 
tion. 


of 
water. 


cov- 
ered. 








square 
yard. 






of oyster 














growth. 










Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 






1913. 


Feet. 


Sq. yds. 










Bush. 


Bush. 


Bush. 




158 


Mar. 17 


7.5 


1.79 


7.8 


15.9 


26.8 


8 


286 


646 


932 


Dense. 


201 


Mar. 23 


6.5 


1.82 


30.1 


, 24.1 


24.6 


9 


654 


593 


1,247 


Do. 


202 


...do 


6.5 


1.99 


34.1 


21.6 


34.1 


10 


673 


821 


1,494 


Do. 


203 


...dc 


5.5 


2.12 


34.8 


46.7 


67.0 


10 


987 


1,615 


2,602 


Do. 


265 


Apr. 5 


7.0 


1.79 


20.6 


39.7 


10.6 


18 


729 


258 


987 


Do. 


266 


...do 


7.0 


1.79 


28.1 


34.1 


15.1 


15 


750 


364 


1,114 


Do. 


267 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


28.3 


36.8 


20.7 


6 


784 


500 


1,284 


Do. 


268 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


32.1 


38.7 


20.8 


15 


856 


500 


1,356 


Do. 


269 


...do 


5.0 


1.59 


59.8 


82.4 


42.1 


24 


1,719 


1,016 


2, 735 


Do. 


311 


Apr. 14 


5.5 


1.99 


28.6 


35.2 


31.6 


13 


580 


762 


1,342 


Do. 


312 


...^0 


5.5 


1.49 


65.7 


52.4 


36.2 


13 


1,061 


874 


1,935 


Do. 


313 


...do 


5.5 


1.49 


94.0 


57.7 


21.4 


15 


1,375 


508 


1,883 


Do. 


314 


...do 


7.0 


1.79 


9.5 


19.0 


8.4 


4 


258 


185 


443 


Do. 


315 


...do 


7.0 


1.79 


38.5 


18.5 


14.5 


14 


517 


350 


867 


Do. 


317 


...do 


5.0 


1.59 


64.7 


50.3 


16.3 


15 


1,043 


394 


1,437 


Do. 


316 


...do 


6.5 


1.82 


10.9 


13.6 


6.0 


17 


231 


145 


376 


Scattering . 



22 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



To the east of Gallinipper Point there is a small lump which covers 
about 55 acres and is one-half mile long by 200 yards wide. It is 
but slightly raised above the general bottom level of the bay, except- 
ing the central and southern portions, which have about 1 foot ele- 
vation. Depth of water is 6 to 7 feet. 

The quality of the oysters is about equal to that of those found on 
the near-by reef, and there is an average of about 257 bushels per acre. 

There are in this immediate vicinity three small patches, which 
were located by the chain, but the character of the oyster growth 
was not determined. The area of these patches will total 34 acres. 

MITCHELL POINT REEF. 

This and Gallinipper Reef form practically one continuous body 
of oysters and extend almost the entire distance across the bay from 
Point Comfort to Gallinipper Point. The separation of the two 
reefs at the channel near beacons no. 3 and no. 4 is arbitrary, as 
there is no interruption of oyster growth and but little essential 
difference in the character of the oysters and of the bottom. 

The reef runs in a north and south direction and has a length of 
3 miles with an average width of 500 yards. At the northern 
extremity the depth of water varies from 2 to 3^ feet, and on a narrow 
ridge a mile long, in the center, the depth is from 2 to 4 feet. The 
average depth for the remainder is about 6 feet. The entire reef is 
elevated approximately 1 foot above the level of the bay. 

The oysters consist largely of clusters, with some singles. It is 
fished more for planting purposes than for the market, excepting at 
the northern border, where some good marketable oysters were taken. 
The reef has never been depleted, excepting a small portion on the 
northeast side. 

At most of the stations from 1 to 6 mussels were found, and near 
the center of the reef from 25 to 55 barnacles were noted at the tong- 
ing stations. 

The general conditions on this bed are shown in the following 
tables: 

Oyster Growth on Mitchell Point Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Over 3 
Inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense . 


Acres. 

532 

39 

19 


Bushels. 

998 

84 

205 


Bushels. 

737 

127 

48 


Bushels. 

520,956 

3,276 

3,895 


Bushels. 

392, 084 

4,953 

912 


Bushels. 
913, 040 
8,229 


Scattering 


Very scattering 


4,807 






Total . 


590 






528, 127 


397,949 


926,076 









OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 23 

Details op Examination of Mitchell Point Reef, 











Oysters caught per 


Shells 


Estimated quantity 




Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 


Depth 


Area 


square yard. 


oysters per acre. 


Character 


examina- 
tion. 


of 

water. 


cov- 
ered. 








per 
square 
yard. 








of oyster 














growth. 










Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 






1913. 


Feet. 


Sq. yds. 










Bush. 


Bush. 


Bush. 




166 


Mar. 18 


5.5 


1.99 


55.2 


42.2 


49.7 


12 


1,177 


1,204 


2,381 


Dense. 


174 


Mar. 27 


5.0 


2.12 


50.9 


41.5 


28.3 


11 


163 


684 


847 


Do. 


175 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


109.8 


66.1 


35.8 


18 


2,120 


864 


2,984 


Do. 


190 


...do 


5.0 


1.59 


81.6 


48.4 


34.6 


19 


1,565 


836 


2,401 


Do. 


210 


Mar. 28 


4.0 


2.65 


34.7 


35.9 


35.9 


9 


852 


866 


1,718 


Do. 


220 


...do 


5.5 


1.99 


45.6 


18.1 


47.7 


.8 


772 


1,151 


1,923 


Do. 


232 


Mar. 29 


3.0 


2.39 


34.7 


51.2 


47.3 


12 


1,038 


1,140 


2,178 


Do. 


258 


Apr. 1 


6.0 


1.85 


38.1 


25.4 


32.8 


8 


751 


791 


1,542 


Do. 


306' 


Apr. 14 


6.5 


1.82 


31.8 


25.9 


7.7 


12 


525 


186 


711 


Do. 


307 


...do 


6.0 


1.86 


40.8 


48.4 


20.2 


15 


809 


487 


1,296 


Do. 


308 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


68.4 


66.9 


69.8 


32 


1,240 


1,688 


2,928 


Do. 


309 


...do 


6.0 


1.86 


41.4 


33.4 


16.7 


9 


680 


404 


1,084 


Do. 


310 


...do 


7.0 


1.79 


37.4 


32.4 


10.1 


7 


634 


244 


878 


Do. 


319 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


23.1 


12.3 


11.7 


19 


321 


282 


603 


Do. 


320 


...do 


3.5 


2.19 


79.0 


42.5 


38.8 


7 


1,103 


936 


2,039 


Do. 


321 


Apr. 15 


6.0 


1.86 


10.2 


12.9 


8.6 


6 


279 


208 


487 


Do. 


322 


...do 


4.0 


2.65 


93.2 


34.6 


29.3 


13 


1,544 


708 


2,252 


Do. 


323 


...do 


4.5 


2.39 


87.1 


74.1 


40.5 


25 


1,958 


979 


2,937 


Do. 


324 


...do 


5.0 


2.12 


49.5 


18.9 


25.5 


14 


826 


616 


1,442 


Do. • 


325 


...do 


3.5 


2.92 


82.1 


31.7 


23.9 


8 


1,686 


577 


2,263 


Do. 


326 


...do 


4.5 


2.39 


46.4 


28.1 


25.9 


17 


915 


625 


1,540 


Do. 


191 


Mar. 27 


7.0 


1.79 


6.1 


5.6 


6.1 


2 


137 


147 


284 


Scattering. 


228 


Mar. 29 


6.5 


1.82 


.0 


2.7 


4.4 


8 


32 


107 


139 


Do. 


318 


Apr. 14 


5.5 


1.99 


10.0 


12.1 


2.0 


10 


205 


48 


253 


Very scat- 
tering. 



Between Mitchell Point Eeef and the entrance to Chocolate Bay 
lies a small lump, 150 yards by 300 yards in extent. The oysters of 
this Imnp are of poor quality, clustered, and of the snapper type; 
they are not fished for market. 

POINT COMFORT BEDS. 

Within the limits of these beds, which He one-half mile northwest 
of Point Comfort, there are six lumps, one large and five small ones. 
The largest is roughly heart-shaped and is about one-third mile by 
one-half mile in extent, while the others are small irregular patches. 

On the large lump two stations were made, both of which showed 
comparatively soft bottoms. At one station the oysters were scat- 
tering and on black shells in soft mud ; at the other there were large 
irregular clusters. A station made on the small lump north of the 
largest revealed a soft bottom and shells burrowed by the Httle bor- 
ing clam Martesia. There were many mussels and also some barna- 
cles and yellow sponge. The oysters of these beds are of new growth 
and have not been fished for the market. 

The remaining four lumps, comprising 24 acres, were located and 
have been plotted on the chart, but the character and quality of the 
oysters were undetermined. The following tables furnish further data 
of a general character. 



24 



OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Point Comfort Beds. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 

116 

10 


Bushels. 
358 
302 


Bushels. 

184 
127 


Bushels. 

41, 528 

3,020 


Bushels. 

21, 344 

1,270 


Bushels. 
62,872 
4,290 


Scattering o 




Total 


126 






44,548 


22, 614 


67, 162 









a An adjacent lump. 
Details of Examination of Point Comfort Beds. 



Sta- 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


SheUs 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


tion. 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 

- 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


284 
459 
285 


1913. 
Apr. 12 
May 9 
Apr. 12 


Feet. 
5.0 
6.0 
4.0 


Sq. yds. 
2.12 
1.86 
2.65 


32.1 

1.6 

15.5 


11.8 
24.7 
17.8 


8.5 
7.5 
6.0 


11 

14 

3 


Bush. 
398 
318 
302 


Bush. 
186 
183 
127 


Bush. 
584 
501 
429 


Dense. 
Do. 
Scattering. 



LAP REEF. 

, Lap and Chicken Reefs together stretch almost entirely across the 
constricted portion of the upper bay, off Nobles Point, and form 
practically a Hne of demarcation in the character and quahty of the 
oysters of the lower and upper parts of the bay. The two reefs are 
separated by a narrow channel from 7 to 9 feet deep, bearing the local 
name of ''Hole in the Wall." 

Lap Reef begins 200 yards off Nobles Point and reaches to the north- 
ward for a mile and a quarter. It reaches its maximum width of about 
800 yards at the northern extremity and gradually tapers to a point 
at the southern end. 

On the eastern half of the reef the depth of water ranges from IJ 
to 4 feet, several feet less than the adjacent barren bottom. The 
depth on the southern and western parts ranges from 3^ to 6 feet, 
being about equal to that of the surrounding bottom of the bay. The 
oysters occur as singles and in small clusters and generally are of 
excellent flavor ; some were used as shell stock in 1912. This reef has 
been fished for the last seven or eight years, and will now yield about 
4 barrels per day. It has never been depleted. 

There are many mussels and some barnacles on this reef. The 
general extent and condition of the bed are shown in the following 
table : 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Lap Reef. 



25 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
194 


Bushels. 
576 


Bixshels. 
333 


Bushels. 
111,744 


Bushels. 
64, 602 


Bushels. 
176, 346 






Very scattering 


14 
33 


376 
99 


73 
3 


5,164 
3,267 


1,022 
99 


6,186 


Depleted 


3,366 






Total 


241 




• 


120, 175 


65,723 


185, 898 











1 Counted in with dense. 
Details of Examination of Lap Reef. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


292 
327 
417 
419 
420 
421 
422 
297 
296 

418 
423 
293 


1913. 
Apr. 12 
Apr. 15 
May 6 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

Apr. 12 

...do 

May 6 

...do 

Apr. 12 


Feet. ' 
4.0 
5.5 
6.5 
5.5 
5.0 
4.5 
4.5 
3.5 
3.5 

6.5 
4.5 
6.0 


Sq. yds. 
2.65 
1.99 
1.82 
1.99 
2.12 
2.39 
2.39 
2.92 
2.92 

1.82 
2.39 


63.7 
28.1 
30.9 
6.5 
15.6 
34.8 
16.3 
45.5 
32.9 

.5 
.0 
.0 


12.1 
25.1 
42.7 
12.6 
24.5 
23.4 

9.6 
25.0 

8.5 

14.6 

9.6 

.0 


16.5 

8.0 

14.8 

19.1 

12.7 

23.0 

10.8 

6.5 

3.4 

.0 
.4 
.0 


6 
2 

12 
3 

16 

18 
4 
3 

10 

20 
4 



Bush. 
688 
642 
891 
253 
484 
702 
312 
640 
376 

182 

116 




Bush. 
352 
231 
357 
462 
307 
556 
261 
138 
73 

io' 




Bush. 

1,040 
873 

1,248 
715 
791 

1,258 
573 
778 
449 

182 

126 




Dense. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 
Scattering. 
Very scat- 
tering. 
Depleted. 

Do. 

Do. 



CHICKEN REEF. 

This begins at the channel — the "Hole in the Wall" — ^from which' 
it extends in an easterly direction to the shoal water of a projecting 
point of the east shore. The reef is long, narrow, and with a slight 
dip southward near the center. The length is approximately 1^ 
miles, while the average width is about 200 yards. 

The depth of water varies from 1 foot to 5 feet, averaging about 3 
feet; there are two narrow ridges, one at the western and the other 
at the eastern extremity, which are awash at low tide. Other than 
at the eastern limit, where the depths on and near the bed are prac- 
tically the same and do not exceed 3| or 4 feet, this reef is markedly 
shoaler than the surrounding parts of the bay. Like all such ele- 
vated reefs, its mass is composed of compacted shells and debris, the 
accumulation of many years of existence. 

The character of these oysters is about the same as those of Lap 
Keef. On the top of the reef there were fine white shells, and some 
excellent oysters in the guts near shore, but they have been prac- 
tically fished out. 



26 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Chicken Keep. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
88 
40 
20 
12 


Bushels. 

305 

252 

82 

22 


Bushels. 

252 

110 

49 

5 


Bu;Shels. 

26,840 

10,080 

1,640 

264 


Bushels. 

22, 176 

4,400 

980 

60 


Bushels. 
49, 016 


Scattering . 


14,480 


Very scattering 


2,620 


Depleted 


324 






Total 


160 






38,824 


27,616 


66,440 









Details op Examination of Chicken Reef. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 

examiaa- 

tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


SheUs 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


449 
450 
451 
452 
453 
457 
448 

454 
455 
456 


1913. 
May 9 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 


Feet. 
3.5 
4.5 
6.0 
4.0 
3.5 
3.5 
4.5 

4.5 
4.0 
3.5 


Sq. yds. 
2.92 
2.39 
1.86 
2.66 
2.92 
2.92 
2.39 

2.39 
2.66 
2.92 


18.3 

15.1 

4.8 

7.2 

10.3 

.0 

2.9 

1.6 
.0 
.0 


16.8 

13.4 

7.5 

23.7 

15.4 

6.2 

5.4 

3.8 

3.8 

.0 


6.5 
12.5 
12.4 
3.8 
5.8 
4.1 
2.5 

1.6 
.4 
.0 


10 
4 

11 
6 

13 
3 

10 

2 
9 



Bush. 
424 
344. 
148 
373 
310 
75 
100 

65 

44 




Bush. 

154 

302 

300 

91 

140 

99 

61 

38 

10 




Bush. 
578 
646 
448 
464 
450 
174 
161 

103 


Dense. 

Do. 

Do. 
Scattering. 

Do. 

Do. 

Very scat- 

tering. 

Do. 
Depleted. 

Do. 



Nortli of the barrier of these cross reefs the salinity of the water is 
reduced and the mussels become more numerous and, contrary to' the 
accepted view that barnacles occur more frequently in waters of 
higher salinity, the reverse was found to be true in Lavaca Bay. 

There is a small patch one-half mile north of the western extremity 
of Chicken Reef. It is practically circular in outhne, having a diame- 
ter of 175 yards. Depth of water 5 feet. An examination showed an 
average of about 323 bushels of market oysters and 253 bushels of 
small ones per acre, the area of the patch being about 8 acres. 

BEDS NORTHWEST OF LAP REEF. 

About three-quarters of a mile northwest of Lap Reef there are 
three beds, two of which are small, varjdng from 250 to 350 yards in 
length, while the third is about three-fourths of a mile long, and 
narrow, excepting near the northern margin, where it broadens to a 
width of 500 yards. 

The depth of water ranges from 4 to 5^ feet and the beds are but 
little elevated above the adjacent bottom. The patch nearest to the 
west shore bears scattering clusters of large oysters of the snapper 
type, with some mussels and barnacles, and the second lump showed 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



27 



a better growth of oysters, but twice the number of mussels and 
barnacles. On the large patch five stations were made, showing 
oysters, together with a large number of mussels and barnacles. At 
two of these stations on the widest part of the patch the bottom was 
rather soft, and some of the shells were black, having been taken from 
below the surface. This bed is fished but little and consequently not 
much is known about it. It wiU probably not yield more than 4 or 5 
barrels per man per day. 

Three additional beds of 44 acres were located in the vicinity of the 
large patch, but no investigations were made on them. 

The following tables exhibit the results of the examination of these 
beds: 

Oyster Growth on Beds Northwest of Lap Keef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Over 3 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense i 


Acres. 
79 


Bvishels. 
328 


Bushels. 
295 


Bushels. 
25,912 


Bushels. 
23, 305 


Bushels. 
49,217 





Details op Examination of Beds Northwest of Lap Keef. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 
of 

water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


298 
411 
412 
413 
414 
415 


1913 
Apr. 12 
Apr. 29 

...do 

...do 

...do 

...do 


Feet. 
5.0 
6.0 
5.5 
6.5 
6.5 
6.0 


Sq. yds. 
2.12 
1.86 
1.99 
1.82 
1.82 
1.86 


5.2 
23.6 

4.0 
18.1 
18.7 
16.6 


8.0 
31.7 

3.0 
12.1 
20.9 
30.0 


7.1 
22.6 
12.6 

9.3 
14.3 
20.2 


7 
25 

9 

5 
21 

8 


Bush. 
129 
668 
85 
374 
478 
563 


Bush. 
152 
546 
305 
224 
344 
486 


Bush. 
281 

1,214 
390 
598 
822 

1,049 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



CHAIN BEDS. 



These beds, 12 in number, lie off Signal Bay and, with one excep- 
tion, are smaU. isolated patches, none of which have a local name. 
The depth varies from 3^ to 5 feet with an elevation of from one-half 
to 1 foot above the surrounding bottom. Four beds were examined. 
The largest of the series has a length of 1 mile and a width of 350 
yards, and on this five stations were made. The southern end showed 
about 24 counts, 14 cuUs, 41 spat, and 90 mussels per square yard; 
near the center of the bed the bottom was rather soft, with some 
mussels, barnacles, and buried shells along with the oysters; at the 
northern end there were about 7 counts, 8 cuUs, and 4 spat per square 
yard, also some buried shells. This bed is fished but Httle, although 
the oysters are of fair flavor. The first small lump of 6 acres north of 



28 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



the large patch produced mostly singles, rather small, but of extra 
fine shape and good quality, probably the best of the entire bay. 
This lump yielded 18 counts, 17 culls, and 20 spat per square yard. 
The second lump north of the large patch yielded scattering clusters, 
mussels, barnacles, and dead shells in black mud, and another lump 
south of Benado Creek Reef produced 34 counts, 56 culls, and 37 spat, 
with some mussels and barnacles per square yard. 

These small patches are aU fished for the market. The remaining 
lumps, containing 31 acres, were located, but the character of the 
oyster growth was not determined. 

Oyster Growth on Chain Beds. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Over 3 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
94 
29 


Bushels. 

483 

27 


Bushels. 
496 
105 


Bushels. 

45, 402 

783 


Bushels. 

46, 624 

3,045 


Bushels. 
92, 026 


Scattering 


3,828 




Total 


123 






46, 185 


49, 669 


95,854 









Details op Examination op Chain Beds. 











Oysters caught per 


SheUs 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 




sta- 
tion. 


Date of 


Depth 


Area 


square yard. 


oysters per acre. 


Character 


examina- 
tion. 


of 
water. 


cov- 
ered. 








of oyster 














growth. 










Spat. 


CuUs. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 






1913. 


Feet. 


Sq. yds. 










Bush. 


Bush. 


Bush. 




352 


Apr. 16 


5.0 


2.12 


41.0 


13.8 


24.1 


17 


662 


583 


1,245 


Dense. 


354 


...do.... 


5.5 


1.99 


12.6 


23.6 


20.1 


9 


437 


485 


922 


Do. 


361 


Apr. 17 


4.0 


2.65 


19.9 


16.9 


18.0 


6 


334 


435 


769 


Do. 


367 


...do.... 


2.5 


2.64 


37.1 


55.7 


34.1 


12 


845 


822 


1,667 


Do. 


430 


May 8 


6.5 


1.82 


3.8 


7.7 


6.6 


11 


139 


159 


298 


Do. 


355 


Apr. 16 


6.0 


1.86 


.0 


.5 


4.8 


27 


6 


116 


122 


Scattering. 


369 


Apr. 17 


5.0 


2.12 


.0 


.0 


3.3 







79 


79 


Do. 


429 


May 8 


6.0 


1.85 


.5 


5.9 


5.0 


8 


77 


121 


198 


Do. 



HOPPE LUMP. 

Hoppe lump lies three-quarters of a mile north of Signal Bay, and 
about 175 yards off the west shore. The lump is approximately 500 
yards wide and 700 yards long and is somewhat quadrate in out- 
line. The depth of water varies from 3 to 5 feet and the northern- 
most part of the lump rises from one-haK to 1 foot above the general 
level of the neighboring bottoms. 

Three stations were made. One near the west-central margin re- 
vealed a soft bottom, some buried shells, but no oysters; another 
near the center of the lump showed a rather soft bottom, but 21 
counts, 54 mussels, and 35 barnacles per square yard; while the 
third station, near the southern margin, showed a hard bottom with 
3 counts and 3 mussels per square yard. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY^ TEX. 



29 



The oysters of this lump are in clusters and singles, long, flat, and 
with sharp edges but of fair flavor. It is fished but little. 



Oyster Growth on Hoppe Lump. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
41 


Bushels. 
75 


Bushels. 
198 


Bushels. 
3,075 


Bushels. 
8,118 


Bushels. 
11, 193 







Details of Examination of Hoppe Lump. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 

examinar 

tion. 


Depth- 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


445 
444 
372 


1913. 
May 8 

...do 

Apr. 17 


Feet. 
6.5 
6.5 
6.5 


Sq. yds. 
1.82 
1.82 
2.12 


4.3 
.0 
.0 


13.7 
.0 
.9 


21.4 

.0 

3.3 


22 

1 


Bush. 

218 



8 


Bush. 

516 



79 


Bush. 

734 




Dense. 
Do. 

Scattering. 



HALF MOON REEF. 

This hes one-half mile south of Long Reef and a quarter of a mile 
north of Hoppe Lump. Its length is one-half mile, and its greatest 
width, 300 yards, is near the southern half, whence it contracts sud- 
denly to the northward to a width of 50 yards. 

The depth of water ranges from 3 to 5 feet, and the reef is approx- 
imately on the general level of the surrounding bottoms, excepting 
along the western margin, where there is an elevation of about 1 
foot. 

Three stations were made, one on the 50-yard projection, which 
gave the best returns — about 11 counts, 3 culls, and 6 spat per 
square yard. An average of the other stations near the center of 
the reef showed 4 counts, 3 culls, and 4 spat. Mussels and barnacles 
were found at all stations. 

The oysters of this reef resemble those of Hoppe Lump. They 
are of fair flavor, of good shape, but generally too small for market, 
excepting on the edges, where they occur in clusters. They sell for 
98 cents per barrel, 2 cents tax. The reef was first fished in 1910, 
and the work has been carried on during most of the present season 
(1912-13). One man can tong seven barrels per day. During 
"northers" the reef is Hable to become dry. 

As a rule, fishing does not begin in the upper bay until October. 
However, if freshets are early and the weather becomes cool, fishing 
is pursued earlier. 



30 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY^ TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Half Moon Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Over 3 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
33 


Bushels. 

78 


Bushels. 
151 


Bu,shels. 

2,574 


Bushels. 
4,983 


Bushels. 
7,557 





Details op Examination, of Half Moon Reef. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


441 
377 
442 


1913. 
May 8 
Apr. 17 
May 8 


Feet. 
6.0 
4.5 
5.5 


Sq. yds. 
1.39 
2.39 
1.49 


5.7 

7.5 

.0 


2.9 
3.3 

2.7 


10.8 
4.6 
3.4 


25 
5 
9 


Bush. 

104 

98 

33 


Bush. 
261 
111 

82 


Bush. 
365 
209 
115 


Dense. 

Scattering. 
Do. 



LONG REEF. 

This long, narrow, crescent-shaped reef of 64 acres lies a few hun- 
dred yards southeast of the mouth of Garcitas Bay and has a length 
of 1 nule, with an average width of about 150 yards. It is practically 
at the level of the general bottom, excepting at the western extremity, 
where there is a rise of about 6 inches. The depth of water varies 
from 3i to 4 feet. 

Along the edge of the reef there are large oysters in clusters resem- 
bhng those on Half Moon Reef, while on top there are small ones. 
Considerable fishing is done here for seed, which are worth as much 
as marketable oysters. Permits are obtained to take whatever is on 
the bottom without the payment of any tax. This reef was first 
fished about two years ago, and, with the exception of Chicken Reef, 
this is true for the upper bay generally. One man can take seven 
barrels per day. 

A small patch of 3 acres, 100 by 200 yards in extent, lies just east 
of Long Reef and has dense oysters of about the same character and 
quahty as those of the main reef. The depth of water varies from 
3i to 4 feet. A station on the patch showed 705 bushels of seed and 
1,122 bushels of marketable oysters per acre, making, all told, for 
the patch 2,115 bushels of seed and 3,366 bushels of marketable 
oysters. 

The following tables show the data obtained from this bed : 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY^ TEX. 
Oyster Growth on Long Reef. 



31 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
laches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
64 


Bushels. 
340 


Bushels. 
332 


Bushels. 
21, 760 


Bushels. 
21, 248 


Bushels. 
43,008 





Details of Examination of Long Reef. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
■water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


382 
396 
437 
440 
438 


1913. 
Apr. 17 
Apr. 25 
May 8 

...do 

...do 


Feet. 
4.5 
2.5 
3.0 
5.5 
5.5 


Sq. yds. 
2.39 
3.52 
2.39 
1.49 
1.99 


15.1 

4.0 

19.3 

47.8 

.0 


13.8 

5.7 

22.2 

16.3 

4.0 


18.8 
14.9 

9.6 
19.5 

6.0 


3 

6 

15 

41 

1 


Bush. 
262 
117 
501 

774 
48 


Bush. 
454 
360 
232 
471 
145 


Bush. 
716 
477 
733 
1,245 
193 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 

Scattering. 



PATCHES NEAR SIGNAL GAR. 

There are two small patches in the vicmity of Signal Gar, about 
250 yards offshore and three-quarters of a mile off Long Reef. They 
are each about 150 yards in length by 100 yards in width. Depth 
2i feet. 

The patch to the west, containing 3 acres, was discovered in 
1911, but first fished the year following. The oysters on top are 
very dense and are of the snapper type. On the southeast edge 
there are large oysters in mud; the other edges do not bear such 
good stock, but better than is found on top. As many as 18 barrels 
have been fished in one day and at least 200 barrels of oysters have 
been taken in one week. The oysters are of good quality and fair 
flavor, but too large for raw stock. 

The patch to the east, containing 2 acres, is fished but Httle, and 
not at all last season. The oysters are dense and in clusters, but 
scattering on the edges, and are not up to the standard, being of 
poor shape, watery, and poor in flavor and meat. 

Oyster Growth on Patches near Signal Gar. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


- Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
5 


Bushels. 
- 1,027 


Bushels. 
1,088 


Bushels. 
5,135 


Bushels. 
5,440 


Bushels. 
10, 575 





32 OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

Details op Examination op Patches near Signal Gar. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
vater. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


SheUs 

per 
square 
yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


435 
43G 
399 


1913. 
Mav 8... 
...do.... 
Apr. 25.. 


Feet. 
4.0 
4.0 
3.5 


So. yds. 
2.61 
1.99 


21.1 

70.7 

.0 


26.3 

53.2 

.0 


29.3 

60.8 

.0 


21 

36 




Bush. 

572 

1,483 




Bush. 

708 

1,468 




Bush. 

1,280 

2,951 




Dense. 
Do. 



BENADO CREEK REEF. 

Benado Creek Reef lies approximately 1 mile southwest of the 
mouth of Benado Creek, and one-half mile off the north shore of the 
bay. The reef is 1 mile in length and about 300 yards in width at the 
central section, narrowing to both the north and south. The depth 
of water on and adjacent to the reef ranges from 3^ to 5 feet. 

This reef was first fished in 1910-11, but has never been given a 
fair test because oysters are more plentiful elsewhere. Three or four 
barrels is considered a good day's yield per man. The oysters are 
of fair shape, occurring mostly in clusters, and are of fair flavor. 
The reef never ebbs dry. 

The following tables show its area and distribution of oyster 
growth : 

Oyster Growth on Benado Creek Reef. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Overs 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
39 
15 
20 


Bmhels. 

257 

17 




Bushels. 

333 

92 

24 


Bushels. 

10, 023 

255 




Bushels. 

12,987 

1,380 

480 


Bushels. 
23,010 
1,635 
480 


Scattering 

Very scattering 






Total 


74 






10,278 


14, 847 


25,125 











Details op Examination of Benado Creek Reef. 



sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


Culls. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


384 
416 
432 
433 
431 


1913. 
Apr. 17 
Apr. 30 
May 8 

...do 

...do.... 


Feet. 
4.0 
4.5 
5.0 
5.0 
6.0 


Sq. yds. 
2.66 
2.39 
2.12 
2.12 
1.85 


20.2 

7.9 

6.6 

.0 

.0 


13.9 

10.9 

10.4 

1.4 

.0 


12.0 
17.2 
12.7 
3.8 
1.0 


3 
5 
5 
6 
2 


Bush. 
315 
243 
205 

17 



Bush. 

289 

415 

306 

92 

24 


Bush. 
604 
658 
511 
109 
24 


Dense. 
Do. 
Do. 

Scattering. 
Verj'- scat- 
tering. 



OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY; TEX. 



33 



PATCHES BETWEEN BENADO CREEK AND LAVACA RIVER. 

Between Benado Creek and Lavaca River there are seven rather 
small patches which were located during the survey, but only two of 
these were examined in detail. 

The first patch, about IJ miles southeast of the mouth of Benado 
Creek and 700 yards off the east shore, is 100 yards wide by 200 
yards long. A station made on this patch revealed a hard bottom 
and about 425 bushels of seed and 754 bushels of market oysters per 
acre, the depth of the water being 3 feet. 

The second patch examined lies one-third of a mile south of the 
first, and about 400 yards off the east shore. It is somewhat circu- 
lar in outline, but with a projecting arm and a slight indentation on 
the eastern margin. The diameter is approximately 300 yards and 
the depth of water 3 feet. 

An examination of this patch showed about 443 bushels of small 
oysters and 578 bushels of large ones per acre. On both patches the 
oysters are larger than on the lumps to the westward, but they are 
fished but little. 

There is a fringe of oysters covering upward of 100 acres along 
shore north of the mouth of Lavaca River, but no detailed examina- 
tion was made. 

Oyster Growth on Patches between Benado Creek and Lavaca River. 





Area. 


Oysters per acre. 


Estimated content of oysters. 


Character of oyster growth. 


Under 3 
inches. 


Over 3 
inches. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


Dense 


Acres. 
22 


Bushels. 
443 


Bushels. 
578 


Bushels. 
9,746 


Bushels. 
12,716 


Bushels. 
22,462 







Details or Examination op Patches between Benado Creek and Lavaca 

River. 



Sta- 
tion. 


Date of 
examina- 
tion. 


Depth 

of 
water. 


Area 
cov- 
ered. 


Oysters caught per 
square yard. 


Shells 

per 

square 

yard. 


Estimated quantity 
oysters per acre. 


Character 
of oyster 


Spat. 


CuUs. 


Counts. 


Seed. 


Market. 


Total. 


growth. 


446 
447 


1913. 

May 8 

...do 


Feet. 
5.0 
4.0 


Sq. yds. 
1.59 
1.99 


13.2 
13.6 


22.0 
24.6 


31.2 
16.6 


i 


Bush. 
425 
461 


Bush. 
754 
402 


Bush. 

1,179 

863 


Dense. 
Do. 



REVIEW OF THE NATURAL OYSTER BEDS. 

Of the total area of Lavaca Bay, about one-sixth, 6,853 acres, or 
10.7 square miles, is covered with oyster growth. In the lower half 
of the bay the beds, with the exception of some insignificant patches,, 
are all east of a line joining Gallinipper Point and Point Comfort. 



34 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



Why the western third of this region should be barren while the 
remainder is covered by extensive and prolific beds was not deter- 
mined by the survey. The beds are practically continuous and in 
many cases the lines of demarcation between them are arbitrarily 
assumed for the purposes of this report. 

In the upper part of the bay, above the line between Noble Point 
and Point Comfort, the beds are smaller and more generally distribu- 
ted, although somewhat more numerous in the western half. So 
far as the quality of the oysters is concerned, their flavor, condition, 
and to some extent their shape, those of the upper bay were the 
better during the time of the survey and it is probable that this is 
true at most times. 

In respect to the uniform prolificness of the beds as a whole, 
Lavaca Bay is the most remarkable region which has been surveyed 
by the Bureau. Not less than 91 per cent of the total area of oyster 
bottom is classed as dense growth, 5 per cent as scattering, a little 
over 2 per cent as very scattering, and a little less than 2 per cent as 
so-called depleted bottom. It appears as if the bottom must spring 
into great productivity very soon after it begins to bear oysters at 
all, and the large areas of sparsely productive bottom usually found 
in oyster-producing regions are lacking. 

A glance at the chart accompanying this report will show this, and 
it is also exhibited in the following table which shows the acreage 
of each class of growth for each of the large beds and for groups of 
the smaller patches. 

Summarized Statement op Areas op Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Name of bed. 



Character of oyster growth. 



Dense. 



Scatter- 
ing. 



Very 
scatter- 
ing. 



De- 
pleted. 



Total. 



Sand Point Reef 

Lumps northeast of Sand Point Reef 

Middle Ground Reef 

Old Town Bed 

Lumps south of Old Town Bed 

Bed north of Middle Ground 

Kellers Bed 

Rhodes Point Reef 

Cox Bed 

Lumps east of Cox Bed 

GaUinipper Reef 

Mitchell Point Reef 

Point Comfort Beds 

Lap Reef , 

Chicken Reef 

Northwest of Lap Reef 

Chain Beds 

Hoppe Lump 

Half Moon Reef 

Long Reef 

Patches near Gar Signal 

Benado Creek Reef 

Between Benado Creek and Lavaca River 

Total 



Acres. 

78 

5 

444 

828 

14 

173 

1,275 

1,093 

1,177 

3 

329 

532 

116 

194 

88 

79 

94 

41 

33 

64 

5 

39 
22 



6,226 



Acres. 



28 



121 



40 



29 



15 



Acres. 
20 
67 



345 



19 



20 



Acres. 
62 



163 



12 



119 



Acres. 

160 

72 

472 

328 

14 

173 

1,287 

1,217 

1,177 

34 

361 

590 

126 

241 

160 

79 

123 

41 

33 

64 

5 

74 

22 



6,853 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



35 



As is explained in the introductory part of the report, the classi- 
fication is based on the relative abundance of oysters over 3 inches 
long, which is assumed to be the minimum size which could be used 
for market purposes. The smaller oysters, while recorded and else- 
where discussed, do not enter in any way into the classification. 
Neither does the term dense mean a continuous cover of massed 
oysters. It is used to express the condition where oysters in excess 
of 150 bushels per acre are found on the bottom, either as a con- 
tinuous growth or in separated clusters, lying on the mud or sand. 

The following table gives the estimated total content of each class 
of growth of each bed: 

Summarized Content op Market Oysters on Public Beds. 



Name of bed. 



Sand Point Reef 

Lumps northeast of Sand Point Reef 

Middle Ground Reef 

Old Town Bed 

Lumps south of Old Town Bed 

Bed north of Middle Ground 

KeUersBed 

Rhodes Point Reel 

Cox Bed 

Lumps east of Cox Bed 

GaUinippcr Reef 

Mitchell Point Reef 

Point Comfort Beds 

Lap Reef 

Chicken Reef 

Northwest of Lap Reef 

Chain Beds - 

Hoppe Lump , 

Half Moon Reef , 

Long Reel 

Patches near Gar Signal , 

Benado Creek Reef 

Between Benado Creek and Lavaca River 

Total 



Character of oyster growth. 



Dense. 



Bushels. 



16, 

3, 

426, 

309, 

9, 

74, 

543, 

617, 

421, 

1, 
192, 
392, 
21, 
64, 
22, 
23, 
46, 

8, 
4, 

21, 

5, 

12, 

12, 



536 

055 
240 
304 
310 
663 
150 
545 
366 
716 
794 
084 
344 
602 
176 
305 
624 
118 
983 
248 
440 
987 
716 



3,251,206 



Scatter- 
ing. 



Bushels. 



3, 830 



10, 627 



3,720 
4, 640 
4,953 
1,270 



4,400 



1,380 



37, 771 



Very 
scatter- 
ing. 



Bushels. 
1,140 
2,080 



159 



912 



1,022 
980 



480 



De- 
pleted. 



Bushels. 
372 



7,373 



531 



Total. 



Bushels. 

18, 018 

5,735 

430, 076 

309, 304 

9,310 

74,563 

543, 150 

628,231 

421,366 

5,436 

197, 434 

397,949 

22, 614 

65, 723 

27, 616 

23,305 

49, 669 

8,118 

4,983 

21,248 

5.440 

14:847 

12, 716 



3,296,881 



This table shows an extraordinary average of 525 bushels of large 
oysters per acre of the areas classed as bearing a dense growth and of 
nearly 500 bushels per acre for the entire area of oyster beds in the 
bay. Therefore, not only is the ratio of dense growth to the whole 
greater, but the density of growth on that area and on the beds as a 
whole is much greater than in any other region of approximately equal 
extent which has been examined by the Bureau. 

Middle Ground and Old Town Beds are the most productive, each 
producing over their extensive areas an average of about 950 bushels 
of large oysters per acre. This is exceeded sMghtly by some of the 
small lumps in the upper part of the bay. This, however, constitutes 
but part of the oyster content, for the smaller oysters are numerically 



36 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



more numerous than the larger ones and as a whole approximately- 
equal them in bulk, as is shown in the following table : 

Summarized Content op Young Oysters on Public Beds. 





Character of oyster growth. 




Name of bed. 


Dense. 


Scatter- 
ing. 


Very 
scatter- 
ing. 


De- 
pleted. 


Total. 


Sand Point Reof 


Bushels. 

26,208 

3,310 

359, 196 

224, 024 

6,986 

70, 930 

397, 800 

400, 038 

428, 428 

1,269 

252, 014 

520, 956 

41,528 

111, 744 

26, 840 

25,912 

45, 402 

3, 075 

2,574 

21, 760 

5,135 

10, 023 

9,746 


Bushels. 


Bushels. 
12, 080 
28,542 


Bushels. 
8,432 


Bushels. 
46 720 


Lumps northeast of Sand Point Reef 




31,852 


Middle Ground Reef 


21,308 




380, 504 

224,024 

6 986 


Old Town Bed 


1 


Lumps south of Old Town Bed 








Bed north of Middle Ground 








70,930 
398,580 
412, 537 


Kellers Bed 






780 


Rhodes Point Reef , 


12, 463 


36 


Cox Bed 




428,428 

9,546 

259, 406 

528 127 


Lumps east of Cox Bed 


8,277 
7,392 
3,270 
3,020 






Gallinipper Reef 






Mitchell Point Reef 


3,895 




Point Comfort Beds 




44, 548 


Lap Reef 


5, 164 
1,640 


3,267 
264 


120 175 


Chicken Reef 


10,080 


38 824 


Northwest of I-ap Reef 


25,912 

46, 185 

3,075 


Chain Beds 


783 






Hoppe Lump 







Half Moon Reef 








2,574 


Long Reef 








21,760 


Patches near Gar Signal 








5, 135 


Benado Creek Reef 1 


255 






10,278 
9,746 


Between Benado Creek and Lavaca River 













Total 


2,994,898 


66,854 


51,357 12,743 


3, 125, 852 







Although in a sense the young oysters are the most important 
elements of the reef contents, they have no immediate commercial 
value except as seed. It is not until they grow to market size that 
they can be used, and as they grow it is self-evident that the number 
per bushel will decrease. A comparison of their quantity with that 
of 'the market oysters is therefore less important as an index of the 
probable future of a reef than an examination of their relative num- 
bers, and for the purpose of making this numerical comparison the 
following table has been prepared from the data collected by the 
survey. 

Number op Oysters Under Three Inches Long for Each One Over that 

Length on the Several Beds. 





Character of oyster growth. 


Name of bed. 


Dense. 


Scat- 
tering. 


Very 
scatter- 
ing. 


De- 
pleted. 


Sand Point Reef 


7.6 
2.3 
1.7 
L6 
1.5 
2.0 
L3 




2.3 

26.7 


45.0 


Lumps northeast of Sand Point Reef , 






Middle Ground Reef 


ii.2 




Old Town Bed 






Lumps south of Old Town Bed 








Bed north of Middle Ground 








KeUers B ed 






No large. 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



37 



Number of Oysters Under Three Inches Long for Each One Over that 
Length on the Several Beds — Continued. 





Character of oyster growth. 


Name of bed. 


Dense. 


Scat- 
tering. 


Very 
scatter- 
ing. 


De- 
pleted. 


Rhodes Point Reef 


1.3 

2.6 
L5 
2.9 
3.0 
4.4 
3.7 
2.4 
2.2 
2.2 
.8 
.8 
2.3 
L9 
1.7 
1.5 


2.3 






Cox Bed 






Lumps east of Cox Bed 


4.4 
4.1 
1.4 
5.6 






Gallinipper Reef 






Mitchell Point Reef 


ILO 




Point Comfort Beds 




Lap Reef 


12.1 
3.3 


61.8 


Chicken Reef 


4.6 


9.5 


Northwest of Lap Reef 




Chain Beds 


. 5 






Hoppe Lump 






Half Moon Reef ... 








Long Reef 


.6 






Patches near Gar Signal 






Benado Creek Reef 


.4 






Between Benado Creek and Lavaca River 















On all beds except Hoppe Lump and Half Moon Reef there is a 
considerable numerical preponderance of small oysters, and in con- 
sideration of the rapidity of oyster growth on the Gulf coast there is 
no probability that any of the beds will fail to perpetuate themselves 
under present conditions, unless as the result of physical accident or 
the attacks of some enemy which has not yet appeared. 

BARREN BOTTOMS. 

The area of barren bottoms — that is, those which are not naturally 
productive of oysters even in small quantities — vastly exceeds that of 
the natural beds, including in the latter those so-called depleted areas 
which bear practically nothing. These bottoms are barren, mainly 
because of one character in which they differ from the productive 
areas — namely, that they are devoid of shells or other objects lying 
on the surface. They consist of sand and mud of varying degrees of 
stabihty and consistency. Oysters, immediately after they develop 
from the egg, for a brief period swim or float freely in the water, 
settling to a fixed condition only after they reach a stage of consider- 
able development.^ 

It is not necessary to give more detail to this subject other than to 
say that at the time at which they are undergoing fixation the oysters 
are very minute, and a sHght film of mud or slime is sufficient to stifie 
them. During the spawning season these little organisms are present 
in the water in untold myriads and are precipitated to the bottom in 
a continuous gentle drizzle of tiny specks. If they fall on an oyster 
bed they find firm supports on the sheUs and oysters, attach them- 
selves and grow, but if they fall on the mud or bare sand they die. 

a For a more extended aecoimt see " Oysters and methods of oyster culture," by H . F. Moore, Bureau of 
Fisheries Document no. 349, which may be obtained by application to the Bureau at Washington, D. C, 



38 OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

The natural beds have been slowly developed on bottom sunilar to 
that which surrounds them solely because through some agency there 
originally lodged on the mud or sand some hard objects to which 
the young oysters could safely cHng. Oysters developing there and 
their shells scattered about by the waves furnished additional places 
for fixation of new generations of young, with the result that the 
original growth extended in area and its bed became a compact 
mass of shells and fragments, beneath which can still be found by 
excavation or probing the original bottom differing in no essential 
particular from the adjacent barren areas. 

All that is required by the barren bottom in order that it may 
become productive is that its surface should be supplied with hard 
objects or cultch, either through natural agencies or by the hand of 
man. The capacity of the bottom to sustain material deposited on 
it and to maintain it in proper condition to serve as cultch depends 
largely on its stabihty and consistency. Moving sands gradually 
cover objects deposited on their surface and soft mud permits them 
to sink. It is therefore of prime importance for the oyster culturist 
to have information concerning the character of the bottom, and it 
was one of the purposes of the survey to supply it. 

The methods and the instrument employed have been described in 
the introductory part of this report and the results attained are shown 
graphically on the chart. 

The symbols on the chart designating the character of the bottom 
do not show all of the places at which examinations were made, but 
only those which have been selected as representative of the general 
conditions obtaining in the vicinity. It may be assumed that between 
any two adjacent symbols of different significance the change in the 
character of the bottom is more or less gradual. 

While practically none of the bottom of Lavaca Bay is composed 
of ooze, practically all of it, except in places alongshore and in the 
immediate vicinity of the reefs, is composed of soft or very soft mud, 
which under the economic conditions of the locahty are hardly worthy 
of serious consideration for purposes of oyster culture. 

The bottoms which are classed in this report as hard and stiff mud 
are more or less scattered along the margins of the bay, usually 
within one-half mile of shore. The largest body of bottom naturally 
firm enough for planting oysters without danger of having them 
engulfed and smothered is in the southeastern part of the bay between 
Sand Point and the mouth of Kellers Bay. The location of other 
areas may be most readily determined from the chart. 



OYSTEK BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 39 

GENERAL PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. 
TIDES AND CURRENTS. 

Primarily for the reduction of the soundings to approximate mean 
low-water level, a tide gauge, a plain staff graduated in feet and 
tenths, was estabhshed at Port Lavaca, the most convenient and 
central point on the bay. During the entire period of the survey 
readings were made every two hours during daylight. The highest 
tide recorded was on April 23, when the water stood at 4.7 feet on the 
gauge and the lowest was on March 16, when it fell to 1.2 feet on the 
staff, a maximum range of 3.5 feet. The daily range was usually from 
0.4 to 0.8 feet, and was to a great degree affected by the winds, which 
in many cases obscured or obliterated the apparent lunar influences. 

Although the normal tidal range is small, the currents are suffi- 
ciently strong to insure ample circulation for the conveyance of oyster 
food and the renewal of water for respiratory purposes. 

SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER. 

As the amount of salt carried by the waters is a factor important 
to oyster growth and flavor, as well as conditioning the presence or 
absence of destructive enemies, a series of observations relating to the 
salinity and water temperature were continued throughout the survey. 
It is well known that oysters reach their maximum development and 
finest quality in waters of brackish character, having a specific gravity 
of 1.012 to 1.018, about midway between fresh water (specific gravity 
1.000) and open-sea water (specific gravity 1.025). Water nearly 
fresh, on the one hand, or very salt, on the other, if present for any 
length of time over the oyster beds, is extremely detrimental, if not 
absolutely prohibitive, to the mollusks. Certain enemies of the 
oysters are also greatly influenced by the amount of salt in solution, 
the drill, for example, avoiding waters of low salinity, while the com- 
mon black sea mussel thrives in them. 

In order to obtain a reasonably accurate or reliable estimate of the 
proportion of salt in Lavaca Bay, two separate but simultaneous 
series of observations of salinity and water temperature were made. 
From the Fish Hawk, anchored in the vicinity of the Middle Ground 
and Sand Point Reefs, observations were made at 8 a. m., noon, and 
6 p. m. The depth of water varied from 8 to 10 feet. The other 
series was made by the biological party, and extended over the 
greater part of the bay, including points both on the reefs and barren 
grounds. 

The water samples in both series of observations were taken a few 
inches from the bottom of the bay, regardless of depth. The instru- 
ment or apparatus used for collecting the samples is illustrated and 



40 



OYSTEH BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 



described in "Volumetric Studies of the Food and Feeding of 
Oysters," by H. F. Moore (Bulletin Bureau of Fisheries, vol. xxviii, 
p. 1297-1308). 

For purposes of comparison the bay was divided into three areas 
of approximately equal extent, the first of which was that section of 
the lower bay extending northward to a line connecting Rhodes and 
Gallinipper Points; the second from this line to Chicken and Lap 
Reefs; the third from these reefs to the head of the bay. The follow- 
ing table summarizes the results of the observations, the boldface type 
showing the data obtained by the Fish Hawk at the mouth of the bay, 
coincidently with the conditions observed in the several regions by 
the survey party. 

Salinity and Temperature Observations in Lavaca Bay. 



Locality. 


Date. 


Water tempera- 
ture. 


Specific gravity. 


- 


Max. 


Min. 


Av. 


Max. 


Min. 


Av. 


Fish Hawk 


1913. 

Feb. 24-28 

Mar. 1-5 


66 
66 


°F. 
59 
59 


°F. 
63 
61 

64 
64 

64 

61 

60 

65 

61 

71 

69 

66 

67 

70 

73 


1.0176 
1.0172 


1.0166 
1.0160 


1.0172 


Fish Hawk 


1.0168 


Area 1, vicinity of Kellers Bed 


Mar. 5 


1.0166 


Fish Hawk 


Mar. 6-10 


66 

66 

68 

68 

72 
64 

73 

70 

70 

72 

75 

75 


57 

63 

54 

57 

57 

57 

68 

66 

61 

63 

61 

66 


1.0184 

1.0178 

1.0176 

1. 0178 

1.0208 

1.0164 

1.0185 

1.0152 

1.0178 

1.0138 

1.0187 

1.0137 


1.0156 

1.0152 

1.0142 

1.0147 

1.0154 

1.0112 

1.0160 

1.0134 

1.0154 

1.0063 

1.0152 

0.0110 


1.0173 


Area 1, vicinity of Old Town, Middle 

Ground, Kellers Beds. 
Fish Hawk 


do 


1.0160 


Mar. 11-17 

do 


1.0164 


Area 1, southeast Gallinipper Point, 
entrance Kellers Bay; southeast Old 
Town Bed, east of Kellers Bed. 

Fish Hawk 


1.0153 


Mar. 18-31 

..do 


1.0176 


Area 2, vicinity of Cox Bed, Mitchell 
Point Reef, off Chocolate Bay, ofl 
Port Lavaca. 

Fish Hawk 


1.0130 


Apr. 1-9 


1.0173 


Area 2, vicinity of Rhodes Point Reef, 
off Port Lavaca, entrance Chocolate 
Bay. 

Fish Hawk 


do 


1. 0140 


Apr. 10-15 

. do 


1.0168 


Area 2, vicinity of Mitchell Point Reef, 

south of Chicken Reef, Lap Reef. 
Fish Hawk 


1.0116 


Apr. 16-May 2 

do 


1.0169 


Areas, off Lavaca River, Hoppe Lump, 
Benado Creek. 


1.0120 







From this table it will be observed that while there was the usual 
seasonal increase in the temperature during the progress of the 
investigation, there was no material change in the saltness of the 
water at the mouth of the bay, nor, probably, in the other regions. 
There was, however, a progressive decrease in the salinity of the 
water from the mouth of the bay to its head, a condition to be ex- 
pected from the fact that the fresh water is all discharged in the 
upper part of the bay. At no time during the survey did the saltness 
fall below that which oysters will tolerate indefinitely, and at no 
time was it below the most desirable degree of salinity, with the 
exception of a short period in the first half of April. It is probable, 
however, that during times of prolonged rainfall some of the oysters 
in the upper part of the bay may be kUled or injured by excessively 
fresh water. 



OYSTllE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 41 

OYSTER ENEMIES. 

Comparatively few oyster enemies were observed during the sur- 
vey and there was but little evidence of any considerable destruction 
of oysters through their agency. Probably more oysters are de- 
stroyed by mud, or through being overgrown and smothered by 
their own kind, than are killed by other marine animals. 
- Drills or conchs. — There occur in Lavaca Bay two species of these 
marine snails, known to zoologists as Thais Jisemastoma yqi. jioridana 
and Busy con perversum, the former being the more common • and 
larger species, one specimen taken measuring over 4 inches in length. 
Not over two or three dozen of both kinds were found during the 
survey and practically no oysters killed by them were found. These 
drills are essentially salt-water animals and are confined to the 
lower part of the bay. It is commonly supposed by oystermen that 
they secrete an acid by which they perforate the oyster shells by 
solution, but in reahty the holes are made mechanically by means 
of a rasp-hke tongue which can be protuded from the mouth. 

Mussels (Mytilus Tiamalus). — The mussels found on the oyster 
beds must not be confused with either the large edible sea mussel of 
the Atlantic coast or the fresh-water mussel, which is used for button 
making. So far as is known this species has no present economic 
use, although doubtless it would make a good fertilizer. 

Mussels were found very sparingly on the beds of the lower half of 
the bay and none at all were observed below a line uniting Gallinipper 
and Rhodes Points. From Chicken and Lap Reefs northward they 
became more abundant, and on some beds 100 or more were found 
within an area of 2 or 3 square yards. This increased abundance is 
correlated with the lowered salinity of the water, this mussel being 
an inhabitant of brackish waters. Although this moUusk is classed as 
an oyster enemy, it is not one in the sense of preying on the more valu- 
able shellfish. It is injurious in that it eats the same kind of food as 
the oyster, and therefore lessens the supply for the latter, while at the 
same time its more prohfic growth enables it to cover the latter, inter- 
fere with its growth and eventually to stifle and starve it. 

DrumfisTi {Pogonias cromis). — The black drum was not observed 
during the survey, nor was it learned that it had ever caused destruc- 
tion in LaVaca Bay. It is mentioned here because it is likely to 
appear suddenly on any part of the coast and at such times it is often 
very destructive, particularly to the planted oysters of better quahty. 
Owing to the clustered growth and sharp edges of the oysters the 
natural beds of Lavaca Bay are not likely to be seriouslj^ injured by 
this fish. 

Minor enemies and pests. — The yellow sponge, which overgrows 
the oysters and produces the ''worm-eaten" condition of the shells, 
barnacles which crowd the oysters and roughen the shells, and the 



42 OYSTER BOTTOMS OP LAVACA BAY^ TEX. 

little boring clam, Martesia, which burrows its oval chamber in the 
shells, are all more or less nuisances, and therefore objectionable, 
but they do comparatively little harm in Lavaca Bay. 

SPAWNING. 

The conditions of spawning probably do not differ from those 
generally obtaining on the Gulf coast, and it is, therefore, not nec- 
essary to discuss the subject at any length. It will suffice to repeat 
what has been said in a previous report.*^ 

The spawning of oysters consists, in brief, of the discharge of eggs 
from the female and spermatozoa from the male to meet and fuse in 
the surrounding water. The fertilized eggs develop into minute 
embryos, each furnished with a little brush of cilia or hairhke pro- 
cesses which vibrate in rhythm and propel it feebly through the water. 
After a time Varying with the temperature of the water the embryos 
develop a tiny shell, which by its weight eventually precipitates 
them to the bottom, where, if they fall upon a suitable, clean, firm, 
support, they attach and grow into spat, but if not they speedily die. 
As their own powers of locomotion are inconsiderable, the wide dis- 
tribution of the young oysters in their swimming stage is dependent 
upon the currents. 

Oysters in the spawning condition are of a peculiar creamy color, 
with branching lines traced over the surfaces of the body. When 
they are cut the ripe genital products at once exude from the wound, 
but if the shell be opened carefully and a gentle pressure exerted 
upon the body they will be discharged from a definite opening Ij'ing 
below the muscle (usually called by the oystermen the ''eye" or 
''heart") which extends between the two valves. This is the pore 
from which they flow in the normal process. Ripe oysters in the 
language of the oystermen are aptly described as "milky." 

Spawning takes place, in the main, during spring and summer, in 
any given region extending over a period of some months, depending 
upon the latitude and the chmate. On the Gulf coast I have found 
during almost every month oysters which were apparently ripe, and 
from which there were obtained eggs which readily separated in the 
water and had every appearance of maturity. Whether such eggs 
would be extruded during the winter under natural conditions is 
doubtful, and if they were it is practicallj' certain that they would 
not develop, as the experience of all investigators has shown that 
development is inhibited if the temperature of the water drops 
materially below 70°. 

In Lavaca Bay the critical temperature is not permanently passed 
until about May, and the major part of the spawning undoubtedly 
takes place between May 1 and October 1. 

a Oyster bottoms in Matagorda Bay. By H.F.Moore. Bureau of Fisheries Document no. 610. 1905. 



OYSTEB BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 43 

OYSTER CULTURE. 

One of the primary purposes of the survey was to determine the 
reasons for the unsatisfactory results heretofore attained in oyster 
culture in the bay and to suggest measures to alleviate the difficulties 
enumerated. The reasons are apparent, the principal if not the sole 
difficulty being that the bay is already much overstocked with oysters 
on the natural reefs. 

In summarizing the conditions on the oyster beds it has been shown 
that they bear, as a whole, an average of nearly 1,000 bushels of 
oysters per acre, about equally divided between small and market 
stock. 

The beds are also unusually extensive as compared with the barren 
bottoms, and this, in connection with their productiveness, produces 
a condition of overpopulation such as the Bureau has not encountered 
in any other region of even approximately such large extent. The 
survey showed that for each acre of Lavaca Bay's area of about 60 
square miles there were upward of 165 bushels of oysters, large and 
small. In some localities this would be regarded as a good average 
productiveness of the beds themselves, which would be surrounded 
by large areas of barren bottom serving as food reservoirs. 

The important effects of this overpopulation of the waters are two- 
fold. In the first place any circumscribed bay or estuary can produce 
but a more or less definite maximum quantity of oyster food, and, 
theoretically at least, there will be a definite limited quantity available 
for each oyster living therein. As a fact, some of the oysters, by 
virtue of their more favorable location on the bottom, will probably 
get much more than their fellows, but if there be four or five times 
as many oysters as there should be, few or none will get enough to 
eat and all, or practically all, will be poor and of little value in the 
markets. Under the conditions prevailing in Lavaca Bay this will 
obtain not only with the oysters on the densely crowded beds, but 
also to a slightly reduced extent with such oysters as may be laid 
down on the barren bottoms. The food of the oyster consists of 
minute plants and finely divided organic matter generally, and as it 
is water-borne, carried from place to place by the currents, the ex- 
cessive consumption of food in one place must make itself felt in other 
places more or less remote. 

The second effect of the prodigious population of the natural beds 
on planted oysters is that the latter become overburdened and even- 
tually overgrown with young oysters; 6,500,000 bushels of oysters in 
the circumscribed limits of Lavaca Bay must produce spawn in such 
volume that at the height of the season there are hundreds of oyster 
embryos in each quart of water. As the region is not subject to the 
cold rains and sudden chUling of the water which is so destructive to 



44 OYSTEE BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 

fry near the northern Hmit of the oyster's range, and as there are no 
unusual enemies to the tiny free-swimming embryos, they pass 
through their development in vast numbers and set on every available 
suitable body exposed to the water, the shells of the planted stock 
being no exception. 

Under such conditions, however carefully the seed may have been 
culled into singles and small clusters, each becomes a center of attach- 
ment for new growth, and there is soon produced a bunch of oysters, 
none of which has room to grow into good shape, as a planted oyster 
should in order to bring the price necessary to pay for the expense of 
planting. Not only are the oysters so produced inferior in shape, but 
they are invariably poor in quality, as the conditions under which 
they grow are such that they are unable to get the proper amount of 
nutriment for the same reasons causing the impoverishment of the 
food supply of oysters on the natural beds. 

The difficulties recounted appear to be insuperable under the con- 
ditions at present obtaining. In places where currents slacken and 
silt deposits the difficulty with the set on the old oysters would be 
somewhat reduced but not overcome, for the rapid production of new 
shell characteristic of the region would continually supply clean ma- 
terial on which the spat could settle. Moreover, in such locations the 
poverty of food would almost invariably be accentuated. 

Under the circumstances the best thing which could happen to the 
oyster fishery would be the very material or even drastic depletion of 
every oyster bed in the bay. If they contained one-fifth or, perhaps 
better, one-tenth of their present content, they would produce more 
marketable oysters than they do at present. According to the data 
adduced in this report, they contained in the season 1912-13 about 
eight times the quantity of large oysters which were marketed from 
the beds of the entire State in the preceding year and a corresponding 
surplus of young oysters. Here is a case in which the principles of 
true conservation demand destruction rather than preservation, and 
cull laws and other measures designed to protect the natural beds 
would work harm rather than good. Some efficient oyster enemies 
would be a blessing, provided, of course, that their ravages could be 
repressed at the critical time when their work had progressed to the 
proper point. 

As has been pointed out in several places in this report, the con- 
ditions are unusual and the only practical suggestion which the 
authors have to ojffer is that those desiring to engage in oyster culture 
take the oysters from the reefs without regard to size, break up the 
clusters and plant them in some other region where oysters are not 
abundant. Possibly the more open waters of Matagorda Bay might 
be utilized for this purpose, but we are not informed as to the suita- 



OYSTER BOTTOMS OF LAVACA BAY, TEX. 45 

biJity of the bottoms there, and there may be difficulties due to other 
conditions. 

In any event, we do not recommend oyster culture in Lavaca Bay 
so long as the present dense oyster population is maintained. 

RESUME, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 

The following is a synopsis of the results of the survey detailed in 
the foregoing report, with the conclusions and recommendations 
based on them : 

1. The survey covered the entire area of Lavaca Bay, approxi- 
mately 38,103 acres, or nearly 60 square miles. 

2. The area covered by oyster beds was found to be 6,853 acres, 
about 18 per cent of the entire bay. Of this, about 6,571 acres, or 
96 per cent, bore oysters in sufficient quantity to make tonging profit- 
able, provided a market could be found for the product. 

3. It is estimated that during the winter 1912-13 the content of 
these beds was 3,296,881 bushels of oysters over 3 inches long and 
3,125,852 bushels of smaller ones. 

.4. Although the quantities of the two classes of oysters were ap- 
proximately equal, the small oysters were in considerable numerical 
preponderance. There is, therefore, no reason to believe that there 
is imminent any decrease in the present population of the beds ex- 
cept as the result of the operation of wholly unforeseen agencies, such 
as extraordinary freshets or the inroads of hosts of oyster enemies. 

5, The beds are, at present, greatly overpopulated, and this, in 
connection with their great extent in comparison with the area of 
the bay, mihtates against the production of high-grade oysters in 
any considerable quantities. The oyster industry would be bene- 
fited if the oyster population in the bay could be reduced from one- 
fifth to one-tenth of its present size. For this reason it is recom- 
mended that cuU laws and other usual measures to preserve the 
oysters on the natural beds be repealed or otherwise suspended 
until such time as the content of the beds shall be materially reduced. 

6. While there is considerable bottom in Lavaca Bay suitable for 
oyster culture, it is not believed that the industry can be profitably 
pursued until the content of the natural beds is greatly reduced. 
Under present conditions the supply of food is insufficient for the 
proper feeding of the oyster population, and the purposes of oyster 
culture, the production of a superior oyster, can not be achieved. 
The enormous fecundity of the beds, furthermore, makes it difficult 
or impossible to grow oysters of fine shape. Possibly seed oysters 
taken from the reefs could be planted to advantage in Matagorda 
Bay, but lack of information as to the general conditions of that 
body of water causes the suggestion to be made with some hesitancy, 

O 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 809. 



Plate I. 




PLANTED OYSTERS, UPPER BAY, WITH MUSSELS AND BARNACLES. 
(Natural size.) 



U.S. B. F.-Doc. 809. 



Plate II. 




CLUSTER OF NINE MARKETABLE OYSTERS FROM OLD TOWN BED. 
(Three-fifths natural size.) 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 809. 



Plate III. 



i>. *^ 




1. YOUNG DRILL (THAIS H/EMASTOMA VAR. FLORIDANA). 
(Natural size.) 




2. ADULT DRILL (THAIS H/EMASTOMA VAR. FLORIDANA) 
(Natural size.) 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 809. 



Plate iV. 




OYSTER FROM CHAIN BEDS. 
(Natural size.) 



U. S. B, F — Doc. 809. 



Plate V. 




■SNAPPER" FROM LAP REEF. 
(Natural size.) 



